Creature Feature Deki Café
by Ghoster.Z
Summary: Maids. Dresses. Frilly Skirts. Animals. Haruno Sakura needs a job that pays well. Fortunetly for her, all she has to do is serve tea and wear puppy dog ears. Maybe flirt with a few men...and women -SakuMulti-
1. Chapter 1: enchanté

**Creature Feature Deki Café**

**enchanté**

Sakura stood outside the odd looking shop with an ailing look on her face. She _really_ did not want to be here right now, in fact, she'd rather be running into oncoming traffic - that was how much she didn't want to go in. It wasn't that the little shop, of which she was slightly glaring at, was bad or anything, it was the _nickname_ people gave it. Oh, she'd heard this name plenty of times before, especially in the hospital, it was usually the males who discussed about this particular topic.

_The little shop of __**horrors**__._

How could this cute looking shop, which was also a café, be considered a little shop of horrors? Well for one, the owners of the place weren't exactly normal … or human for that matter. Rumor was that the couple, who created this joint, were actually aliens that crashed landed on Earth fifty years ago, though they both look barely out of their teens. Another were the workers. _Deki_ is what they are called. No one knew what the word meant or where it came from, but that is what the employees at this café were called. Speaking of employees, did anyone happen to mention that they were all females? Yep, all women. Women who were cute, Lolita outfits ranging from maids to stewardesses. Occasionally there was a male employee here and there, but they were greatly out-shined by their female counterparts. Oh, and the café was animal themed. Which meant that they had ears on their heads and a tail jutting out from under their skirts. Every male's wet dream come true.

Not exactly the kind of place a modest and brainy pink haired girl would work at, but she needed the money. Medical school wasn't going to pay for itself, and she certainly wasn't going to run back to mommy and daddy for help. Despite how much they wanted to she was a big girl now, fresh out of high school and with a scholarship to Tokyo Medical University. Too bad for her, the scholarship would only last her for two semesters, in which case, she desperately needed some extra cash to stay at school.

Clutching the appointment card to her chest, she took one last look at the outside world and prayed to whatever deity that was listening to have mercy on her pitiful soul. With a gulp of air, she walked through the automatic sliding doors and into the shop. Immediately her senses were assaulted by the disarrayed, dismembered and discolored joints of the café, she had an eyeful. If she thought the outside looked weird, the inside was even more bizarre looking.

Aside from the classical Victorian Goth and classic French Versailles themes, the café really had no organization or set theme. It was a mixture and combination of everything from steampunk to sci-fi to fantasy. Further in, black and crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, along with origami and paper mache cut ours of animals. Classical styled paintings adorned the wall, an array from landscapes to people and…murder scenes? Sakura leaned in closer to one painting in particular and her eyes widened. A man and a woman, holding hands, stood before two slaughtered bodies and was smiling down at them. Very strange indeed.

She kept looking at other pictures, unaware of a body walking right up to her.

"May I help you?"

"Eek!" She jumped and spun around, coming face to face with a smiling woman.

"I'm sorry; I did not mean to startle you."

Sakura laughed nervously and tried to wave it off, "Ah, n-no, it's fine. I'm just a little jumpy that's all."

The sandy blonde woman smiled brightly, almost glowing underneath the fluorescent light, "My name is Bou, the head Deki-Maid, how may I be of service for you today?"

"I have an appointment with," She turned the card around and read the name carefully, "Phantom? Yeah, I have an appointment with her at three o'clock this afternoon."

"Oh, Lady Phantom? She hasn't arrived yet, but I will escort you to her office and you may wait for her there."

She nodded and proceeded to follow the maid.

As they walked further down the shop, she noticed how each wall on both the downstairs and up stairs floor was entirely different from the other. Each and every one of a them was a one of a kind design. Oddly enough, they all seemed to match in their own unique way. Her favorite probably had to be the pink walls with the black and green dancing figures.

"This place certainly is…incomparable to the other cafés in this district."

Bou looked over her shoulder and smiled, "Yes, the masters wanted it to be entirely different from everything else. They wanted this shop to stand out amongst the others."

Well, they certainly had the standing out part down. But Sakura couldn't help quirking an eyebrow. _Masters? That's a bit too much to be calling your boss._

They walked all the way to the end of the hallway and turned a right corner where a mini elevator shaft sat open as they stepped in. For some reason, she felt like they were both in some time machine. The golden clock that hung above the elevator and _four_ hands and they were each moving in different directions. Bou pulled a silver lever and the gates closed, then there was a buzzing noise before the elevator started to descend slowly. Sakura sneaked a quick peek at the tall blonde and examined her features. Blonde, blue eyes, big chest, curves to die for, and tall as a supermodel; her beauty was impeccable. On a closer survey, she also noticed a pair of white lamb like ears on top of her pig tailed head and a tail behind her. Not to mention the fact that her hands were oddly shaped like tiny, little hoofs. How peculiar.

_Little Bou peep. How _original_. Men actually like this stuff?_

"Is there something wrong miss?"

Said maid turned to the staring pink haired woman and politely smiled.

She blushed and turned away, "Nope, nothing's wrong."

"That's great, looks like we're here."

They got off at the fourth floor and Bou stepped out first and lead the way down the purple colored hallway. They turned two left corners before standing in front of a golden door with strange red markings on it. They looked very foreign, a language Sakura had never seen before. But thank fully for her, there was one thing that she could actually read clearly. The character for Phantom was written neatly in the middle of the door.

"As I have mentioned before, our Lady is not in at the moment, but if you would be so kindly as to wait in her office, I will contact her immediately to let her know she has a client waiting."

Bou unlocked the door and stepped aside.

"Uh, thanks, Bou."

Sakura stepped into the equally unusual office and sat in a red cushioned chair. The door quietly closed behind her and she was left alone. One sweep around the room and she already knew her future boss might just be a lunatic. It seemed this person had a morbid fascination with death and all things gloomy. While priceless daggers and knives sat in glass cases for decorations, pictures and art work deciphering mass killings, psychopaths, and insane asylums covered the walls. Skelanimal and Emily the Strange plushies and dolls covered the shelves and desks, almost giving off a child like aura.

_What have I gotten myself into?_

Suddenly there was a loud bang and the building shook, she dropped her bag and fell to the floor clutching her head in case it was an earthquake. As the building settled back into place, Sakura peeked through her fingers and cautiously tried to stand up - until another there was another loud bang and the room shook once again. This time a rather long and vicious string of colorful vocabulary followed. This person's mouth was so dirty it could but a sailor to shame.

"Bloody hell! That was amazing!"

Footsteps could be heard racing down the hall towards the occupied room. Sakura had only a minute to stand up before the door was kicked open, hitting her right in the face.

"Hey Phantom!"

A platinum blonde…girl? Or was it a boy? Stood in the middle of the doorway with a confused expression on his/her face, head tilted to the side as he/she looked at Sakura curiously, who was groaning and rubbing her aching head. There was a huge, bright red imprint of a star right in the middle of her forehead, courtesy of the door.

"You aren't Phantom, who the hell are you?"

"My name is Haruno Sakura." She all but growled.

"And just what the dingy are you doing in here?"

With a hand rubbing her nose, she handed the woman? Or was it a man? Her crumbled up appointment card and flopped down onto the seat. Dark purple eyes scanned the card quickly and flipped it over before handing it back to Sakura.

"Sorry 'bout your face."

An exasperated sigh escaped her rosy lips, "It's fine, are you Phantom?"

"No, I'm Daemon. Her husband."

Well that was a surprise, this androgynous looking boy, with a thick Okinawan accent, looked like he just barley hit puberty. Sakura had to restrain herself from laughing and coughed, "Oh, well, um, it's nice to meet you. I spoke with your wife on the phone a couple days ago about a job and she told me to come meet her here for an interview."

"A job interview? I didn't know we were hiring." Daemon gripped his chin in a thinking manner, which made him look positively cute, "Must have been Ghost's idea." He mumbled. Looking back up, his eyes roamed her body before landing back on her face, analyzing her features, "Well you're cute and pretty enough, so that's a plus. Not exactly the same level as some of the other girls here, but I'm sure you'll fit in just fine. Anyways, I should get back to my work. Pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise."

He bowed politely before leaving.

He was charming and not to mention drop dead gorgeous, despite the fact that he looked gender confusing, a tad bit shorter than her, which was insane since she herself was pretty short to begin with, and already married. Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad to work here after all. The pay was good enough for her to pay for school and have a little change left to buy whatever she wanted. She read the excellent reviews about this place, people loved it here and costumers poured in by the hundreds every week. Maybe she'll even get to wear some of the cute outfits she'd seen on the way to this office.

Another loud boom echoed through the building.

"Holy fucking shit! Look at the size of that whammer!"

And the strange just keep on getting stranger.

A crimson haired woman strolled into the café wearing black Gucci glasses, tight blue shorts, and a polka dotted white sweater with elbow length sleeves. Everything seemed fine and normal, except for the fact that she was wearing lime green rain boots and mix matched knee length socks. While one was purple with orange triangles, the other was black with bright pink kittens. She smiled brightly as a Deki-Maid bowed and greeted her.

"Lady Phantom."

"Afternoon Bou, where's everyone else?"

"They are recharging in the back, it will be another fifteen minutes before they are fully reenergized and we can open the shop again."

"Okay," She started walking again, followed by her loyal maid, "So the girl's still waiting in my office?"

"Yes master."

"Excellent, get me and the girl a cup of warm milk tea please."

"Of course," Bou bowed again before leaving and headed off into the kitchen.

She stepped into the elevator and pulled the lever, waiting patiently for it to stop. The minute she got out of the compartment, there was a loud explosion and a chorus of cusses following it. Phantom rolled her hazel colored eyes and walked towards the ruckus. Standing outside a silver door with purple markings carved into it, she banged it loudly with her tiny fist. Of course, it went unheard.

"Daemon, open up!"

The door swung open and a head popped out. Said boy's face instantly lit up and he planted a kiss on his wife's cherry pink lips.

"Hello my dear."

"What are you doing?"

"I'm experimenting."

"Experimenting what?"

"My latest creation, a potion that will easily keep our Dekis energized and fully active all day."

Phantom cocked her head to the side, "But why are there explosions?"

"I'm working with deadly chemicals; you can't really expect something to _not_ go wrong do you?"

She crossed her arms, "Does Ghost know?"

He grinned nervously, "No, but it's not like she won't appreciate the help."

"You know she doesn't like it when you mess with the Dekis."

He sighed, "I know…please don't tell her."

"You know I won't, but you better not let her find out when she comes back."

"Promise." He kissed her again before slamming the door shut.

The red head turned around and began walking to her office, "Sometimes I wonder by I married him." She mumbled. When she opened the door, the smell of apple cinnamon greeted her senses and her eyes landed on the pink haired woman sitting in front of her ornate desk.

"Greetings!" Her voice was loud and squeaky, causing said woman to jolt in her seat, "I am Lady Phantom, owner and ruler of all that is Creature Feature Deki Café!"

Sakura spun around in the chair to face the grinning pixie like girl standing in the doorway. Her eyes instantly dropped down to her footwear and inwardly grimaced. They say first impressions last a life time, and she definitely knew this was going to last her a while. She was expecting some crazy looking woman with black hair and a ghastly pale complexion with blood running down her mouth. Instead, she was greeted by a crimson haired girl with lime green boots and very expensive glasses sitting on her head.

She got up and bowed as formally as she could, "Hello, Phantom-sama, it's nice to meet you. My name is Haruno Sakura."

"-_sama?_ You can just call me Phantom. It's nice to meet you too. Let's get this interview started shall we?"

"Um, sure?"

"Confidence, I like that!" Phantom kicked the door close and skipped to her seat behind the desk. Dropping her bag on the floor carelessly, she turned on her laptop and opened up a notepad like document to take notes, "Alright, so do you have your resume?"

"Yes," Sakura took out a piece of paper and handed it over.

Silver eyes quickly scanned it without missing a beat before returning to the Sakura.

"What are you wearing?"

The question slightly took her aback, "Pardon?"

"Your attire, what does it consist of?"

"Well, I'm wearing jeans, a shirt and a cardigan."

She gave the girl a deadpanned look and Sakura almost flinched, "No you aren't."

"I don't…"

"You are wearing _blue Abercrombie_ jeans, a _white_ shirt, and a _green_ cardigan."

_What do my clothes have to do with this interview?_

"I'm sorry I don't understand."

Phantom typed something down quickly and turned back to her, "You see, this business and job is entirely different from working at the hospital. I understand in that area one must be serious, assertive, intellectual, compassionate, and sedate. Human life is not something to be fooled around with, so I have much respect for those who work in the medical field. However, we aren't in the world of medicine and scrubs. Unlike our more pokerfaced counter parts, we are happy, funny, colorful, and bouncy. We let our emotions take control, whereas in your field, you are rather more reclusive. We strive to make our guests and costumers happy, we want them to have a good time. We entertain, and to entertain, one must have an open mind and an open heart. When I asked you what you are wearing, you told me blandly _jeans, shirt, _and a _cardigan_."

Suddenly, she felt like a child being scolded at for being so utterly stupid. And she just met the woman only five minutes ago. She wanted to chime in and say something, but the hard look in those silver eyes stopped her.

"We can be serious too, my husband and I are business people, but with all that aside we're still entertainers. We only take in girls who can keep our customers satisfied. Our ladies are very charming and they know that, they use whatever they have to make sure our guests never leave with a frown on their face. Now Sakura, can you keep a person interested for more than five minutes? Are you the alluring type? Can you flirt without coming off too strong? Are you an out-going type of person?"

Sakura coughed into her elbow and pulled the collar of her shirt.

"I-I'm sorry, what was the first question again?"

A flashy smiled split Phantom's face again, "You're cute; at least you have that down. You could probably make a hard man blush, but that mightnot be enough. You need to be a charmer! You need pizzazz! Can you bring that?"

This was all way too much for her to handle, she just wanted a simple side job while going to school! Who knew trying to land a job as a café maid would be so difficult. So many questions, so many requirements; it was almost like getting into medical school all over again. Memories of intense scrutiny and interrogation by the board of directors came rushing back into her head. Such unpleasant times.

Phantom looked over the resume again and started typing into her laptop,"So you work at the hospital?"

"Yes, I'm a paid intern as well as a student."

"If you already have a job there, why do you want to work here?"

"Well…actually, I do need the money. Despite how much I'm being paid as an intern, it isn't enough to keep be stable for long."

The corners of her lips curled, "So then how did you come across us?"

"It was an accident really."

Her thin eyebrow lifted curiously, "Then I am to assume that you have never heard of this place before."

Sakura looked away sheepishly, "I only know what I hear from the male nurses and doctors."

A small smile formed on Phantom's face, "Well I'm not surprised. So, how did you hear word of a job opening in our little Deki shop?"

"I was doing my round checks with my assigned doctor when we went one of our last patient's rooms. While the doctor was in the back, getting ready the shots and medication, I was alone with the patient. It was actually a little uncomfortable because she kept staring at me. Anyways, I went back to help my doctor when I accidentally hit something and all my papers fell from my folder, including the job section of the news paper."

Phantom's eyes became animated and leaned in closer, "Go on."

"The patient happened to see it and all the markings I wrote on it. Then she proceeded to tell me about this place and said there was a job opening. Plus, she said the pay was good too. Combined with my intern money, it's enough to pay for the next four years; if I can get and keep this job that is."

"Hm," Phantom tapped her chin thoughtfully, "Very touching story. Let me guess, this woman in the hospital, did she land herself in there from a motorcycle accident?"

Sakura looked surprised, "Yeah, two fractured ribs and a leg broken in three places."

"Ah, Ghost was always the reckless type."

"W-wait, you know her?"

"Duh, she's our mistress! She's the one who created Creature Feature Deki Café, with our help of course."

Her mouth dropped, "What?"

She burst out laughing, "I like you, no wonder Ghost asked you to come. You're funny and I can see you are a dedicated type. Let me ask you something Sakura, if I do hire you, are you willing to learn?"

Sakura instantly lit up, "Yes! I'm willing to do learn! I'll do anything!"

"How badly do you want-no, need this job?"

"Very much so, I'm begging on my hands and knees, from what the owner told me, I really _need _this. I'm willing to adapt and change to fit in with everyone. I'll wear those maid outfits, I'll wear those…animal ears and tails, and I'll even flirt around with the costumers. I. Will. Do. Anything."

She was pretty much clutching her hands together and bringing them to her face quiet pathetic really. It was embarrassing to say the least, but she meant every word. She would do anything to land a job that pays its employees like celebrities. Even if she had to crawl her way through broken glass and razors, she'll get this job and pay for school without anyone's help.

Phantom looked at her for a long time before busting out laughing, grabbing onto her stomach, and falling back into her chair. Her legs waved wildly in the air, mix-matched boots flashing everywhere. Sakura slightly leaned back, a bit frightened by the scene and waited for the girl to stop. After about five minutes, she settled down and carefully wiped the tears from her eyes, making sure not to smear her makeup. Silver eyes turned to Sakura, all traces of her former serious and somber self gone.

"I really like you Sakura, you remind me of a…of a puppy! A determined, loyal, and cute little puppy!" She opened her drawers, searching for something, tossing things aside and mumbling incoherent words to herself, "Aha! Found them!"

In a quick flash, Sakura suddenly had a pair of small, floppy golden dog ears on her head and a tail attached to her behind.

"I also have a pair of gloves and booties that go with them. Wanna try those on too?"

"Wait, I don't get it, what's going on?" She flicked one of the ears and was surprised at how real it felt.

"Hello, you got the job!"

She gasped,"Oh my god, really?"

"Yep, you'll start working tomorrow! And you'll be puppy themed!"

"P-puppy?"

"Yeah, I can just imagine it now, you in an adorable and frilly maid outfit, with puppy ears and a little wagging tail. God! People will love you! Especially the men, do you have a boyfriend?" Phantom looked quite smug with herself at that moment.

She quickly shook her head.

"Perfect! Because with this job you certainly won't need one. Girls here get hit on all the time. Even me, but I'm one-man-woman type. I've already found my soul mate."

It would have sounded romantic if not for the creepy gleam in Phantom's eyes.

"Anyways, report back tomorrow at 0700 hours, got that!"

Her head nodded just as fast.

"Great!" She picked Sakura up by the arm and lead her to the door, I'll see you then alright? Bye!" She pushed Sakura out and slammed the door shut.

"Well...that was weird."

_At Creature Feature Deki Café_

_a.k.a_

_The little shop of horrors_

**Fin**

I don't know if Deki actually means anything, but it's a word my friend and I made up as a code word for when we see either a hot guy or girl. HAHA. Anyways, it'll get better and make some more sense when the story progresses.

Little shop of horrors, BTW is one of my favorite movies, BWAHAHA

R & R thanks!


	2. Chapter 2: la bonne

**Creature Feature Deki Café**

**La bonne**

She arrived two minutes before her appointed time, standing outside the closed shop just like yesterday. Now that no one was around, she managed to take a real good look at the place. The front walls were a mixture of lavender and silver, with glittering black animals decorating it. In a wacky, gothic style writing, the café's name hung above the entrance. The multicolored light bulbs were seizure inducing. A neatly written closed sign was displayed on the glass doorway, but she could see some movement inside.

Sakura knocked tentatively at the door, hoping to catch someone's attention. When that didn't work, she tried knocking harder again, but to no avail. An aggravated sigh escaped her lips and soon she was pounding on the door when suddenly they slid open and she fell flat on her face.

A brunette Deki-Maid with white mouse ears jutting out from her head, accompanied by a slightly curled tail coming out the back, stopped walking and lowered her head to the floor. She smiled at the pink haired girl and knelt down beside her, gently patting her head.

"Miss, we are not open yet, please return in two hours when we are fully prepared for service."

Said woman quickly jumped up and dusted off her pants before turning to the Deki-Maid, "Actually, I was told to come at this hour by Phantom. She said we were going to be doing some training before I start working."

"Oh! I apologize for my rude behavior, I did not know. Please, come right in and wait at the receptionist desk for further instructions." She bowed politely before standing back to her full height, a staggering 5'9, and continued walking back to the kitchen.

She didn't miss the ears or tail, and wondered if all the workers were required to wear such silly things. But, if it was what people wanted then she would be willing to put on anything to get paid. Plus, she was curious what her outfit would look like too. Hopefully it'll be as cute as what some of these other women were wearing. As she walked to her designated area, she caught sight of Bou talking with another girl who was around the same height. She had light gold hair and steel blue eyes. But instead of the usual ears sticking out, she had a set of ram horns on the side of her head, and a fluffy stub at the back. All topped off with a green maid dress.

"Its puppy-chan!" A familiar voice cried out. "Good morning!"

That girly, high pitched sound was quite unforgettable.

Phantom sat on top of the stair rails and slid all the way down before landing gracefully on her feet. She skipped to Sakura's side and looked her up and down. The 5'2 woman-child smiled wildly before beckoning her to follow. Today her outfit consisted of an extra large grey sweater, extremely short shorts, and purple cowboy boots. Sakura was really skeptical in believing that this fashion victim had any help in designing those gorgeous maid outfits.

"So Sakura, what are you wearing today?"

"A pink tank top, dark blue jeans, and converse sneakers."

"Very good, I see we are beginning to learn a few things aren't we?"

"Yes, I've taken your words into deep consideration."

"Really? I like your dedication, that's why I'm appointing you as the official Golden Retriever Deki-Maid!" The red head kicked open a bright orange door and they entered what appeared to be a large dressing room.

Beyond the glass wall, she could see a dance studio like area with a few maids inside. Women with flaming red hair was directing the girls to move with her backs straight and heads wear they all went for training and practice. She wondered if she'd have to go through this one day. A rough push landed her into a black chair facing a wall of mirrors. On the desk were neatly organized rows of professional looking makeup and priceless jewelry. Beautiful hair trinkets and sparkling accessories sat waiting on stacked shelves, ready to be picked and worn. It seemed this place went all out when came to the girls.

"Miss Phantom, I never really got a chance to properly thank you for accepting me into your business."

"Whoa, you sounded very professional for a second there. Scary. But you are welcome. It's not every day we discover a hidden beauty like you, so we are very honored to have you here." Phantom stood on a mini ladder and shuffled throws the throngs and piles of cloths, searching for the right outfit, "Hey, what's your favorite color?"

"Green."

"Oh really? Well I'm going to make you wear black. And red! Here!" She grabbed two sealed outfits from the hangers and walked over to the seated woman. Laying them gently on the floor, she opened up the first bag.

It was a velvet red corset top, with an intricate lace design that complemented the curves of a woman's body very well. Yellow diamonds were fashioned under the breast cups and gleamed under the dressing room light. But what really caught Sakura's attention and made her eyes widen was the platinum gemstone that sat right between where her boobs would be. Not only did it look really expensive, but also scandalous. It was quite obvious where the male's attention was supposed to be

"Y-you don't really expect me to wear this do you?"

"Of course I do silly! Why else would I have picked it out?"

Sakura looked as if someone had kicked her dog, "But look at it!"

"I am."

"It-I-But-You-"

"Come on, what's the big deal? Any woman would be proud to wear this thing. It shows off your womanly curves and makes you look dead sexy." The woman crossed her arms with a pout on her face.

Sakura's cheeks flushed a shade of red deeper than the corset and Phantom giggled.

"Are you a virgin?"

"Wha-Phantom!"

She burst out laughing, "You are! That's so cute! A virgin maid wearing the hottest outfit in the café, that's just genius!"

"Please, you're embarrassing me." Sakura felt like crawling into a hole and die there.

So she happened to be a virgin, big deal. A lot of women her age were…sort of. Honestly, she hadn't had a date in _years_. The last boyfriend she had was in freshmen year and they broke up four months after going out. The worst part was that she had the dumbest excuse for that; work. She was a workaholic, a working machine that didn't stop until the job was done. All her life she'd been utterly consumed in being the best and making everything perfect. She was a bit too anal for anyone to handel, and so she kept her distance from everyone. There were only a few people in her life she could truly call friends. And even they weren't as pathetic as she. In fact, two of them weren't even virgins anymore, and another one was a serial playgirl. She was just a bookworm who did _not_ do anything bad. Ever. Which she secretly regretted.

"So if I told you I had very rough sex with my husband last night, would it bother you?"

Sakura felt her face heat up, "Yes it would!"

"And that he has a biting fetish, especially with my inner thighs?"

"I-I think that's enough!"

"You wanna see the bite marks? They haven't left yet, and they kind of sting-"

"So what's in the second bag?" Quickly changing the subject before her face melted off.

Phantom giggled like a young school girl and unzipped the second bag.

She pulled out a midnight black skirt which looked like it could barely cover any skin! People were defiantly going to be seeing her creamy skinned thighs. While the top layer was a thick silk material, the second was a white lace, and the last part was black frill. A diamond key chain, consisting of a handbag, glasses, and stilettos, dangled from the side. If her face could get any darker, it just did.

"Don't be shy; have you seen what the other girls are wearing?"

"Yes! Those look like actual maid outfits, and they cover more skin that these clothing do!"

"Well clearly you haven't met _all_ the girls yet. Don't worry; compared to what some of the other ones wear, you'll look like a saint. Anyways, I want you to try these on while I look for a maid dress for you. You wear the stationary ones in the mornings during breakfast and brunch hour. The corset and the skirt are your primary work clothing, you wear those during late afternoons, evenings, and night shifts. So try these one and we'll see how you fit in them!"

Sakura watched the overly bubbly girl bounce up and down as she disappeared into a rack of clothes. A slight whimper escaped her lips as her eyes turned back to her working suit. She reminded herself why she was doing this, how much she was getting paid, and that this place wasn't a playboy mansion. She was assured that no maid was ever touched unless permission was given, and that strict rules applied to everyone who walked in and out of the café. Safety was top priority and security was of the highest level. Which meant that no psycho prevent was going to hump her dry while she was working and get away with it, unless he wanted a severe whoop ass beat down.

_Remember, you promised yourself you were going to change and burst out of your protective bubble. Breathe in and out; you have to be open to options._

She bit her bottom lip and proceeded to strip herself of her clothing and put on the new ones. Phantom returned with a standard (in their eyes at least, what Sakura saw was a sorry excuse for a way show some more skin) maid dress and stopped in her tracts. A coy smile formed on her face. Standing before her was an innocent looking Sakura, dressed in a not-so-innocent outfit. The corset was short enough to show a modest amount of her clearly defined abs, while the skirt stopped right in the middle of her thighs.

"Keep up the naïve, virginal school girl act Sakura, that'll defiantly gain you _a lot_ of attention."

"But…I don't want to be receiving the wrong kind of attention." She said almost childlike.

"What other kind is there? Anyways, I've got the dress here, you keep it in your locker, which I will be assigning you later today. Oh, and before I forget," She put the bag down and rushed over to her purse and quickly pulled out something, "Your doggy ears and tail! Put them on! I want to see what you look like altogether!"

Sakura grabbed said items and did what she was told. While she stood in the middle of the room, looking a bit disturbed, Phantom grinned from ear to ear.

"I think you might just be one of our greatest attractions yet. Hm, where are those gloves and booties?"

Just as she sat down and grabbed a cloth to cover herself, Phantom called out from underneath a pile of shirts and jackets.

"After this I'm handing you over to Bou for some training!"

* * *

"And that concludes our lesson for the day." Bou smiled brightly over at a panting Sakura, who was leaning against a rail for support.

"I didn't know…how heavy…dishes and cups could be!" She said in between breaths.

"Well, when they do pile up, it can be quiet difficult to carry."

"Yeah, but how do you do it so flawlessly?"

"I was programmed that way."

Sakura looked at the woman oddly before shaking it off and turned her body forward. She had just gone through etiquette lessons on behaviorism, conversation, looks, intellect, charm, and obedience. She was trained to be a follower not a leader, listening carefully to what the costumer had to say and follow it through until the end. This wasn't something out of the ordinary for her, but when grace and femininity were thrown in, then everything went off balance. Who knew it would be such a hassle just to pour tea and serve cookies? Not that tea and cookies were the only thing they would be handing out; full out meals were to be served with the upmost perfection. Apparently, this little shop She wondered if she'd have to go through this one day. did not like mistakes.

"Hey Bou, how many other girls are there?"

"All in all there are a total of twenty-five original girls, not including you. There are also five butlers who work part-time."

She nodded, "And how long have you been working here?"

"I have been employed to this company for over twenty years; however, Creature Feature Deki Café is a traveling business and is only rooted to a certain spot for a temporary time before they transfer to a different location."

"Oh, so you mean this place won't stay here forever?"

"I'm afraid not, our masters prefer not to linger in one location for too long."

Sakura quirked an eyebrow, "Why do you call them 'masters'? You've been saying that the entire time."

"Why, because they _are_ our masters. The rulers and creators. They are the ones who built this place and the ones who move it. We are but humble servants working under their superior command."

_Whoa._

She looked at Bou for a second before awkwardly smiling. There was nothing she could say without sounding condescending or rude. The air was so thick she could easily cut it with a butter knife. She slightly inched away from the abnormal maid and grabbed her bag.

"Bou, I have one more question."

"Certainly."

"Um, I know this is going to sound weird but…how are your animals chosen?"

"Animals?"

"You know, you're a sheep and I'm a dog, and that girl you were talking with earlier was a ram. How is all that decided?"

"Oh, I understand what you mean. Our animals are decided through extensive survey and analysis. They are based off of our beliefs and characteristics. I was chosen as a lamb because of my soft and kind personality. I am assuming you were chosen as a dog because of your loyalty and determination. A very high rank if I may add."

Sakura smiled lightly, "Well, thanks Bou, that's all I wanted to know."

"You are welcome Haruno-san, if you have any further questions; please feel free to ask me."

"Yeah, I will." And with that being said, she made a mad dash to the door, however Bou stopped her before she could even turn the doorknob.

"And before you leave, I must inform you that your first shift begins tonight at dinner, six pm sharp. Please try not to be late and please wear your assigned uniform."

She could almost feel her stomach drop, "T-tonight? I start working tonight?"

"Yes, if you like you may come an hour early and I will gladly do your hair and makeup for you."

Her left eye slightly twitched, "T-thanks, I think I'll take offer."

"Perfect, please meet me in the dressing room at five p.m and I will have your station set up for you." Bou bowed before leaving a stunned Sakura to gap at herself.

As Phantom had clearly stated earlier, Dinner time was also called Rush Hour. Why? Because that was the busiest time. Men and women get out of work hungry and they are tired, they want nothing other than to eat and have a good time. That was where the café came in, it was not only voted as Harajuku's most popular joint of the year, but also the most favored place to be at after a long day's work by the general population of Tokyo. Basically, Sakura had a lot to live up to. There were high expectations and screw ups were forbidden. If anything happened that would shine a negative light on the famous café, her pretty little head was on the chopping block.

"Okay, calm down, breathe Sakura, its only dinner. You're only serving dinner and striking up small conversation with some people. Not to mention charming their asses off."

She wasn't much of a flirt, so when Bou was teaching her how to seduce both men and women, her face burned hotter than the sun and every part of her body felt like jello. She had to giggle a certain way, talk in a demure manner, make sure there was a gleam in her eye, and be a little mischievous. A loud groan escaped her lips. She was going to fail horribly. She had no sex appeal in her whatsoever, the most she could do was act virginal and she did that without even trying. Maybe if she spent less time being a super brainiac and a little more time being a _girl_ then maybe she wouldn't be having these problems.

Turning towards the mirrors, she looked herself up and down and sighed. Even if she was wearing the most gorgeous outfit she had ever seen, it still did little to improve her low self esteem. Her confidence level was feeble, socializing and being that girl everyone wanted to talk to were not her strong points. Despite having a loud mouth best friend like Yamanaka Ino, she still had problems being open. Hell, even people in the hospital over looked her sometimes. She was either too brash and frightening or quite and reclusive. It was a wonder any of the patients liked her. At least the children were fond of her. . . but that's probably because they liked playing with her wide forehead.

"There you are!"

Sakura jumped and spun around, Phantom 's head was hanging through the door and smiling at her.

"How'd the lesson go?"

"I could use a little work, but I think I'm getting at it." _Lies, all lies!_

"Sweet, well just to let you know, we start dinner preparations soon, come out when you're ready so we can show you where to lead the guests to their seats and how to properly take orders."

"Alright, be there in a minute."

The red head nodded and backed up to leave, but not before adding in, "Oh and, one of our most honored clients is coming tonight. You may have heard of him, that millionaire tycoon in the ramen industry, Uzumaki Naruto. Yeah, you're going to be serving and catering to him, so good luck!" She slammed the door shut behind her.

Oh yeah, the someone up there must really did have it out for her.

_Maybe it won't be so bad, I mean I am only going to be serving him food…and talking to him…and shamelessly flirting with him. Oh man, what did I get myself into? Just think of the money! Just think of the money!_

Forty eight dollars and fifty cents had _better_ be worth it.

**Fin**

Hope everyone had a Happy Halloween! I sure did, two haunted houses while trick or treating in one night! Gosh I screamed very loud. What's the point of having a boyfriend when they can't even protect you? Mine ran away when some guy in a grim reaper costume started chasing me! I was an ice faerie, dead sexy HAHA.

HMMMM this place seems shady, don't you think?

Next chapter, you all get to meet Naruto and see Sakura's interactions with him WHEEEEE

R & R thanks.


	3. Chapter 3: Uzumaki Naruto: embêtement

**Creature Feature Deki Café**

**Uzumaki Naruto: embêtement**

"I believe you have met most of our staff, am I correct Sakura?" Bou asked.

"I guess, I haven't formally met them, I just know who they are from Phantom and your introductions."

They both had finished touring the pirate themed section of the café and were currently moving on to another. There were a total of twenty sections, all individually themed and all with specific Deki-Maids and stewardesses who were dressed to fit that category. On occasion, some would work in different areas, but that was only if they were understaffed. But for Sakura, she was placed in the French Victorian area with Bou and three other girls. All of whom were taller and a bit more…_voluptuous. _Of course that's not to say Sakura wasn't pretty or curvy herself, but standing next to them, she felt slightly out of place.

"Do you remember the other three women whom we will be working with?"

"Paws, the mouse; Daisy, the ram; and Riona, the lion."

"Excellent, they usually arrive early since our area is the most popular. I'm sure if you warm up to them they will gladly assist you if you require any help. They are quite nice really; they along with the rest of the staff and have been working here for as long as I have."

Sakura smiled, "So you're like one giant family."

"You may say that. We've all been together since the first day the café opened. Once you work here, you never leave."

Sakura quirked an eyebrow, but ignored the statement. After finishing off the last part of their little tour, Bou dismissed herself and headed towards the kitchen. The pink haired woman still had a lot of catching up to do, but now wasn't the time. In less than three hours dinner hour would begin and her job as an official Deki-Maid would start. Hopefully, she'll do the café and herself some justice and not screw anything up. She was a med student for crying out loud and the best intern at the hospital. If she could do all that, she could easily serve a plate of food to some hungry business men. A bubble of pride and willpower swelled up inside her, ready to take on the world. But one quick look at her high heel shoes and the length of the stairs immediately deflated it.

Oh what a girl to do.

* * *

"Order numbers thirty-six, forty, and forty-three are up!"

Sakura carefully grabbed the large brown tray with all the orders sitting on top. She placed one end on her shoulder while balancing the end with her left hand and started heading for the table. Trying to walk gracefully was a workout all on its own. Not only did the plates add weight, which slowed her down, but the fact that she was wearing four inch heels didn't help either. Phantom thought it was a good idea to give her some more height, considering how short she was; _great idea_! Any minute now she was going to drop everything and look like a total fool. It was a good thing her makeup was water proof because she could feel small beads of sweat form on her forehead.

Her hair was up in tiny curled pigtails that stopped at her shoulders, which she was thankful for because she was pretty sure if it got in the way she'd be running into everyone and everything. As she walked towards the back where the VIP section was, she couldn't help noticing the way some men looked at her with _very hungry_ eyes. She didn't know whether to feel self conscious or prideful. Sure, the other girls were wearing outfits that were equally as revealing, but everyone was looking at _her_. What a confident booster that was.

The bell attached to her black choker jingled happily as she walked past the guarded velvet rope, the security guards paying close attention to the fragile girl holding the overbearing dishes. If anything were to happen, they would be quick in action. Thank goodness for them because from the loud and boisterous noises coming from inside the booths, she had a feeling she might need the security. Walking further down the aisle, the noises turned into one, singular voice. One very, very loud voice. Almost reminded her of Ino.

_Okay Sakura, you're here, let's do this!_

"Hey shut up teme! I brought you here to relax not get in a fight with! Will you stop being an emo for more than two seconds and at least _pretend_ you're a human?"

"Hn, shut up dope."

"What? I'm gonna kill-!"

"Here are your orders!" Sakura interjected, a bright smile plastered on her porcelain face.

Immediately, the three male's jaws dropped. The sight of the beautiful pink haired woman was apparently too much for one, in which case he proceeded to burst into tears of joy. The blonde, who happened to be one of the most powerful men in Japan; Uzumaki Naruto, stared at the puppy eared girl with his mouth wide open and drool pooling at the bottom of his lip. Meanwhile, Uchiha Sasuke, an equally powerful man and best friend of said blonde, just discovered he had hormones. But being a human ice cube, he refused to acknowledge them.

A light blush appeared on her face, as she set their steaming plates down in the correct sequence. Keeping her head down, she didn't notice the way Naruto's mouth curled into a feral grin, looking at her in an almost _longing_ manner. Instantly, girl-crazy mode kicked in and the flirt machine was on.

"Hey there sweet thang, what's your name?"

Sakura looked up and forced a smile, remembering it was her job her flirt right back too.

"Whatever you want to call me."

_But if you call me sweet than again I'll kill you._

"How about miss sexy?" He leaned in closer while she stood back up to full height. She almost burst out laughing at his futile attempts to seduce her, especially with those bed room eyes.

She giggled, "That's a bit too much don't you think?"

"Puppy-chan?"

His raven haired man with that stoic face of his, looked ready to vomit and his stupid friend's antics.

"Or you can call me by my first name, Sakura."

"Sakura? That's pretty, and it fits you! Sakura-chan, I like that."

"Well I'm glad you do, I'll be your server for tonight, so if there's anything you need, please don't be afraid to ask."

"Actually!" The white haired man sitting in the back suddenly jumped up, knocking the table in the process.

"Watch it you idiot." Sasuke growled.

"Oh hush up Uchiha! Miss Sakura, the loveliest of flowers, my name is Jiraiya, you may have heard of me; I'm the famous author of Icha Icha Paradise, the multi-million dollar book series."

"Sorry, I haven't."

"What? Well that's a shame, because I would love to put you in one of my books!"

"No way perv! Don't taint innocent Sakura-chan with those disgusting books of yours!" Naruto shoved the old man down and turned back to the blushing girl, totally ignoring his food, "Anyways, I'm sure you've heard of me right?"

"Uzumaki Naruto?"

"Ha! She loves me already! That's right, Uzumaki Naruto, founder and owner of Uzumaki Ramen! Ever tried those before?"

She shook her head, "I'm not particularly fond of ramen."

Sasuke smirked, a little more interested in what she had to say now.

"Really? Damn, that's too bad, because I was planning to take you to my favorite place, Ichiraku, for our date tomorrow?"

A grin formed on her lips, "Oh so we have a date now do we?"

"Hell yes we do!"

"I don't know, our boss doesn't really like it when the employees date the customers," She leaned her hip against the booth, "But _maybe_ she'll make an exception for you."

His sapphire eyes began to sparkle, "So is that a yes?"

"Like I said, maybe." Just as she turned to walk away, his hand shot out and grabbed hers.

Which as a big _no-no_.

She cocked her eyebrow and was about to say something when her most unlikely of heroes jumped in. A steak knife was thrown at the blonde's head, but he quickly dodged it and hid behind the curtains. He instantly let go and started yelling apologies hysterically. Sasuke looked about ready to murder the boy, but he turned to Sakura with his piercing onyx eyes. Her heart began to race with great conviction.

"Are you alright?" His voice was gruff, but held no malice towards her.

"Y-yeah, nothing to worry about." She smiled nervously.

Jiraiya smacked the boy upside the head, "You moron! You aren't allowed to touch the girls, don't you know anything?"

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" He turned to Sakura with watery eyes that could put any pup to shame.

It didn't surprise her when she instantly forgave; she just didn't have the heart to stay angry at anyone in general. She just put her hands on her hips and chided him.

"Naruto, you can't do that. If you want to keep seeing me you have to follow the rules alright?"

"Yes ma'am." He nodded his head like enthusiastically and smiled brightly.

She gave him a pointed look,"So if there's nothing else you need, I'll leave you all to your meals."

"Can we have you for dessert?" He obviously wasn't deterred enough to stop flirting with her.

She giggled at his efforts.

"Idiot, we haven't even touched our food yet."

"Quit ruining the moment teme! Sakura-chan and I are bonding here!"

"You just met her two minutes ago."

"Please excuse the ice bitch here; he doesn't know how to act normal around people." Naruto growled.

"That's quite alright. Please enjoy your meals." She turned and finally left, passing by the bulking security guard and into the kitchen where more dishes waited to be served.

As she placed the last plate on the table and walked to the break area for a well deserved rest, a head popped out of the shadows and barked in Sakura's ears, causing her to jump and squeak. Which earned her the attention of several amused guests. Placing a hand over her pounding heart, Phantom jumped down from the shelf and stood next to her, examining the area with a smile and watchful eye.

"How are things so far?"

"Good, Uzumaki Naruto was the first person I served."

"Ah, and how did that go?"

"Well…great I guess, except for the part where he grabbed my hand to stop me from leaving. Other than that, he was very nice. Though a bit too forward if I may add."

"Hm, that boob, he knows he isn't allowed to touch anyone…which means you're that good! If it you can make one of our best customers break our most strictist rule, you're doing an excellent job!"

"I haven't really done anything except flirt back a little, he's with a man named Jiraiya and some Uchiha…"

"Oh, Uchiha Sasuke. His ass is always getting dragged here by Uzumaki; Jiraiya just tags along to look at the girls. Well, this is excellent news; you get to kill two birds with one stone! Charm _both_ Uzumaki and Uchiha in one night! You should probably go check on them; they're probably missing you right now."

"But it's only been half and hour." She crossed her arms.

"Which is like ten hours in male years, just pop up, say hi and chat with them a little. Now if you excuse me, I've got a meeting with our sponsor."

And with that said, the tiny crimson haired woman walked away casually with her hands behind her as she made her way to the second floor. She sat at a table with a hearty fat man in wearing expensive clothing embroidered in gold. He laughed loudly with a mouthful of food whilst being entertained by both Bou and Daisy. Phantom looked positively tiny sitting next to him. Suddenly, a feeling of sadness crept into Sakura at the sight. This was probably what she and her husband had to deal with every night, talking to arrogant old men who invested in this flamboyant, yet humble café. She never really did like business men. They were all stuck up and pricks, not to mentions hound dogs who shamelessly courted women half their ages.

Then she remembered Naruto. He too was a business man, yet entirely different from all the others. He was a rather interesting character and not something you'd see everyday in the business world. She found him quite amusing, a bit too strong for her taste, but he was definitely easy on the eyes. He may have been a bit too full of himself, but she found that rather charming. Like a school boy vying for this favorite teacher's attention. He seemed friendly, with a good heart and a big mouth.

She giggled quietly as she made her way back to their table.

"Like I said Sasuke, it would do great to your public image if you at least _smiled_ a little when the camera turns your way."

"No."

Naruto flicked a piece of rice in his friend's direction and snickered when the man glared at him. "See, this is why people don't want to talk to you!"

"And yet you still do."

"Jiraiya, tell teme over here to lighten up a little!"

Said older male swallowed his food before turning to the raven haired boy, "I'm on no one's side, but he does have a point. You can't really expect to inherit your family fortune with that frown glued to your face. What would the other investors and financer's think?"

"Hn, I don't care what they have to say. Why am I the only one getting grief about this? Itachi or Kiyoha doesn't have to deal with this crap."

Jiraiya gave the boy a deadpanned look, "That's because people are afraid of Itachi. When he speaks he doesn't sound like he's going to murder someone. Also, Kiyoha is nine! She smiles more than you could in your entire life!"

Naruto's eyes suddenly started lighting up, "Maybe Sakura-chan can make teme smile."

"Talking about me?

She smiled as all their heads turned at her arrival. From what she heard earlier, they were in a very heated argument, one of which she hoped wouldn't disturbed the other guests. Because unhappy guests means no tip, and if she did get any tips then there will be blood.

"I hope I'm not bothering you boys."

"Hn."

She turned to Sasuke, who had the back of his head facing her and stabbing tiny holes into his steak with a fork.

Naruto stuck his tongue at him, "Don't mind him, that's just the only noise he can make besides bitching."

She giggled and stood next to the blonde.

"And how is everyone this evening?"

"Better, now that you're here."

Sakura giggled into her hand. This flirting gig was actually quite easy now that got the hang of it. "So Naruto, why don't you tell me a little bit of what you do?"

"Oh great, here we go." Sasuke mumbled.

Choosing to ignore him, Naruto puffed up his chest like the prideful business man that he was and proceeded to explain to her in full detail of his profession. He was being very descriptive at times, and a bit overly rambunctious at others. Even though her attention was on him, her eyes would occasionally drift to the brooding popsicle sitting across the table. She laughed every now and then, and nod her head in agreement. Her eyes began to drift and turn to look at him, but when they made contact with his - she nearly forgot to breathe.

"Hey Sakura-chan, you don't happen to have a boyfriend do you?"

She looked down at him and shook her head, "You think I'd dress like this," she pointed to her clothing, "In public if I had one?"

"So is that a no?" He sounded way to eager for her liking.

"Nope."

"Awesome! Because by the end of tonight, I'm gonna be that boyfriend!"

This time she really did laugh out loud, "You can keep on dreaming."

"Which I will!"

"I'm curious Naruto, how can such an attractive young man like yourself not have a girlfriend already? Or at least bring a date instead of two other _men_; is there something you're hiding?"

Jiraiya nearly choked on his salad while Sasuke shot her an evil look.

"S-Sakura-chan!"

She giggled affectionately, "I'm just kidding, you know I'm only having fun." Her hand slid from the cushion seat to his shoulder and began to rub him, though lingering a little longer that intended. Even through his unsightly orange blazer, she could feel the heat coming off from him. And she liked it, though it would probably cause more harm than good if she ever told him.

"But really, do you really _not_ have a girlfriend?"

He chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck, "Well you see the thing is…being so rich and famous…you kind of get a lot of people surrounding you so it's a little hard to choose."

"What the idiot is trying to say is that he he's too stupid to keep a girl for longer than a day."

Naruto glared at Sasuke and forced a laugh, "Wow teme, that's the most you've spoken in your entire life."

He scowled at him, returning to poke relentlessly at his food. Which hardly ate.

"I think what this moron is really trying to say is that I haven't really found the right person to be with yet. When I find the right girl, I'll do whatever it takes to keep her by my side."

"Wow, that's so sweet of you Naruto!" She squeezed his shoulder in an innocent gesture. But somewhere in the back of his ramen filled head, he took it as something more.

"But I'll make an exception for you, Sakura-chan!" He dropped to his knees and brought his hands and hers together in a begging manner.

"Hey get up boy! You're embarrassing us!" Jiraiya barked.

"Please Sakura-chan, go out with me and I'll make you the happiest girl in the entire world!"

She stumbled a little as she backed up, "B-but I'm already happy!"

"I'll make you happier; I'll get you anything you want!"

Somewhere in the back of her mind she was screaming for the security guard to come and save her.

"Dope, will you lower that annoying voice of yours down?" Sasuke glared at the people giving them funny looks. So far everyone was pretending nothing unusual was happening.

"You're just jealous cause I'm going to be Sakura-chan's boyfriend and you aren't!"

Talk about mortifying, here was a grown man on his hands and knees _begging her_ to go on a date with him. An ordinary, average looking girl like her. Give them any other day on the streets and he probably wouldn't even spare her a second glance. But she couldn't blame him, she had to admit; tonight, she did look pretty good. Even the hard boiled Uchiha Sasuke couldn't help but secretly fume over the fact that Naruto had the _galls_ to ask her out when he should have been the one making the moves. Thus the power of being a Deki-Maid.

"Are you harassing my maid, boy?"

Sakura's eyes widened as the room went deadly silent. All pair of eyes turne towards the voice.

Daemon.

His platinum blonde hair was sleeked back and he wore an all black suit with the exception of his silver tie, giving him a very superior look. His eyes seemed to darken at the sight of Naruto, who happened to be sticking his tongue out at him. He nodded respectfully at Sasuke and Jiraiya. Both nodded back.

"Uzumaki Naruto, the infamous little noodle brat."

"Shiko Daemon, the annoying short man whom likes to butt his nose in everything."

He scoffed, "This annoying short man happens to own this café which you frequently eat at, and the girl you're kneeling before."

"What? You don't own her!"

"In a way, I do. So unless you want security beating your ass, _again_, I suggest you let her hands go."

Naruto grumbled something about short men and their short dicks, but that thankfully went unheard by the owner. Sakura walked past him, but not before giving him a reassuring smile, and followed the retreating owner out of the VIP booths.

"Will you be here tomorrow?" Naruto cried out.

"Maybe!" She called back.

"Then you better expect seeing me!"

"Hn, dope."

The guard bowed as Daemon walked by him and into the still crowded dinner room, he stopped in front of the lounge area and turned to her.

"As a Deki-Maid, it is your responsibility to maintain order and keep unruly customers seated."

She nodded, accepting the scolding for her erratic behavior and letting things get out of control.

"If you can't handle the costumer, just call one of the guards, they'll set him or her straight. You need to have an aura of maturity around you at all times, remember you aren't only representing this café but also yourself."

"Yes sir."

"Dinner closes in a couple hours, but you can leave a little early since it's your first day. Just remember to check in with Bou before you leave." He turned to leave, disappearing behind a back door.

She sat down on the couch and gripped her knees, cursing at her stupidity and trying very hard to keep her tears from falling. She could not lose this job, she just couldn. No more slip ups, no more being the shy and reserved little girl. Here she was, working in one of Japan's finest café, surrounded by powerful and beautiful people; and she was now one of them. If they had power then so did she. It was time to act like the person she was born to be.

"Sakura-san, what are you doing sitting here by yourself?" Bou asked. She stood in the entranceway with a curious look on her face.

Her eyes seemed to glow in the dim lit room, and as she stood up, a whole new air of power surrounded her.

"Just taking a breather, I'm all ready to finish up dinner."

"Good to hear, there are a few dishes waiting to be served."

"Coming!"

_Note to self; avoid Uzumaki Naruto, Creature Feature Deki Café's most frequent costumers, if you wish to keep your job._

**Fin**

Why did I make Sasuke have a little sister? Because it fits in with my story. And because I wanted to put one in here. My story, I can do whatever I want! MWHAHAHA it's crack DUH. HAHA. I got the name Kiyoha from the movie Sakuran, which I loved. Her part comes to play in the next chapter, and it will be…entertaining. Promise.

Next chapter, Sasuke's return!

**R & R thanks !**


	4. Chapter 4: Uchiha Sasuke: glace, froid

**Creature Feature Deki Café**

**Uchiha Sasuke: glace, froid**

"Bou, can I ask you something? It's a little personal if you don't mind."

Sakura buttoned up the back of her maid outfit and turned to her superior, who was busy applying makeup to her already beautiful face. The blonde woman turned her blue eyes to her and smiled.

"Of course you may."

"You said you've been working here for over twenty years…yet you still look like you're in your late twenties, is there something you use to keep your face and skin so young?"

A chuckled escaped her bright red lips, "I'm afraid not, I supposed ever since I have been employed with to this café, I've stopped aging. It could possibly be from the benefits one gains for working here."

"Benefits?"

"Oh yes, there are many. Special privileges bestowed to those who work hard and earn the right to have indulge in these benefactions. And believe me, they are worth it. They range from beauty care products to health care, even trips around the world."

Sakura's eyes began to sparkle, "So all I have to do is impress the boss with my good work ethics and I get some bonuses?"

"Yes."

"Thanks, that's all I needed to know."

Bou stood up and smiled, "You are very welcome," But as she turned to leave, she stopped in the doorway, "Oh and don't forget, we are serving a birthday breakfast today."

"A birthday breakfast? I think I remember you mentioning that to me that last night."

"Yes, a little girl and some of her friends are coming today around nine-thirty for a tea party, requested specifically by her mother. She will be turning ten, so it is our duty to be the main entertainment. You will be our main server, Daisy and I will be the aides. Their area will be on the upper deck,in the royalty room. We trust you will be able to handle this."

She nodded earnestly before they both left the dressing room together.

_Okay Sakura, it's only a small tea party with little girls. No annoying blonde hired millionaire with a ramen fetish to get you off track! You can do this!_

Standing in the brightly lit entrance way, they watched as a black limousine pull into the front. Immediately, the sounds of high pitched screaming and giggling could be heard, indicating that the birthday girl and her friends were here. It was princess themed, with a royal tea party waiting for them in the Kings and Queens section. Eleven party bags, each filled with everything a fairy princess would need, sat in a circle around the rounded table. The area was decorated from head to toe in glitter, jewels, and pink. Riona, the lion Deki-Maid, stood next to the cloths rack with sparkling dresses, ready to help the girls get into their outfits. And of course, a miniature pony stood in the corner for all the little girls to pet and fawn over.

"We're here!" A little girl with dark purple hair jumped out of the limo, wearing a crown bedazzled in real gemstones and a magic wand with a star at the end. Ten other girls, each wearing a smaller crown of their own jumped out and surrounded her, all screaming and jumping with excitement.

Sakura brought a hand to her mouth, "Oh they are just so cute!"

As the center child started running to the café doors, she stopped in her tracts and put her hands on her tiny hips. She turned around and yelled at the open door.

"Hurry up Sasuke! We don't want to wait for you!"

"Hn, calm down." A familiar body slumped out of the car and leaned against the door. The master of all that is brooding stood with his arms crossed and a scowl etched onto his face.

Instantly, she almost felt the air get knocked out of her, "D-did she just say 'Sasuke?'"

"Yes, he is Kiyoha-chan's older brother."

"But what's he doing here at his little sister's birthday party?"

"That I do not know, you should ask him when he comes. This probably means more work for you to handle, entertaining both parties. Can you handle it on your own?" Bou barley blinked an eye.

Sakura pushed all negative thoughts from her mind and focused on the rewards. _All the make up I could ever want, my dream trip to Paris. _"Of course I can!"

"That's great. Oh, here they come."

The second the butler opened the door and the group of overly hyperactive princesses burst in with a wave of noise following suit. She had never heard such loud ruckus coming from such tiny, little girls. If it wasn't for the fact they were all so adorable, she probably would have given up and just left. With a smile plastered on her face, she greeted the awestruck girls. Their eyes were huge and glossy, mouths parted as 'Wow's' and 'Aws' escaped their lips. It was like a dream come true, being princesses for a day with servants at your hand and whim. The leader of this troupe ran past the girls and stood in front of Sakura, a wide grin on her face,

"My name's Uchiha Kiyoha and I'm the birthday girl."

Sakura bowed, "Happy Birthday Miss Kiyoha, we are delighted to have you celebrate your birthday here with us today."

She giggled wildly, "Did you hear that? She called me _Miss_. So like, where's our tea party going to be at?"

"Well if you follow me, I will take you to the Royalty room."

Once again a shrill of giddy shrieks greeted her sensitive ears as she led them up the purple spiraled stairs, missing the way a certain raven haired man looked at her amusingly. Walking past the other themed areas, she stopped beside a golden rope that hung from the ceiling. With a slight tug, the curtains slowly retreated back to the sides. Almost on cue, all their jaws dropped at the sight. It was a pink, shimmering heaven. Riona bowed at the girls and beckoned for them to enter. Which they did of course, rushing to the clothing rack and grabbing whatever they deemed cute and flashy. Bou and Daisy dismissed themselves, heading back to the kitchen to fetch the tea and food.

As Sakura stood back and watched the girl's interactions with a satisfied smile on her face, another presence joined her side. Her head wiped to the side, verdant eyes melted in a pool of onyx. He quirked an eyebrow at her before she turned back with a blush now forming on her face, a smirk playing on his lips. Maybe coming to this ridiculous tea party wasn't so bad after all. The pink haired Deki-Maid had been plaguing his mind all day anyways, might as well make use of this situation he had with her.

"S-so, what brings you here Uchiha-san?"

"Sasuke."

Her eyes returned to his, "I beg your pardon?"

"Uchiha-san is my father. You can call me Sasuke."

He didn't know why he told her that, it was just an impulse. It wasn't as if he even really knew the girl either. But not that it really mattered at the moment; he rather liked it when she said his name. It rolled off her tongue flawlessly.

"Oh, okay then. What brings you here Sasuke?"

A sigh escaped his lips, "I was asked by my mother to babysit _her_." He pointed to the purple haired girl jumping up and down.

"That's nice of you, but why do you have make it sound like a burden?"

"Do you not see what is happening?"

She cocked her head to the side, slightly confused.

"Just wait and see, by the end of the day you'll be walking out with a huge migraine."

She lifted her chin, "Well, I think they're cute."

"Yeah, for now." He muttered.

Her eyebrow twitched, "What was that?"

"Nothing."

Pursing her lips, she walked past him as Bou and Daisy returned with tea and all kinds of sugary sweets. The girls were told to sit at the round table. They all opened their gift bags and squealed with joy. After that it was time for tea and role playing. Kiyoha acted as the queen, of course, while one of her friends pretended to be her king. Everyone was either a knight, servant, or peasant. Sakura, being the one who poured the tea, was appointed the lovely task of being the handmaiden. While in the corner, Sasuke was appointed the jester. Though he had no clue why, being a human icicle wasn't anything fun. He muttered something about annoying kids and how he could never say no to his dearest mother.

Sakura smiled up at him as she returned to his side, "Could you at least pretend to be happy? It is your sister's birthday."

"This is my happy face, can't you tell?"

She giggled without humor, "You're a natural jester."

"Whatever."

There was an awkward silence after that, not that Sasuke really cared. He actually preferred the things to be quite, it made his day a whole lot easier to deal with. But that wasn't the case for Sakura, who was the complete opposite. She enjoyed talking and conversations. Despite being in a room full of loud, chattering girls; it seemed awfully silent.

"I don't think we've properly met."

It wasn't the best topic to spark up a conversation, but it was the best she could come up with. He turned to her with that expressionless face of his.

"My name is Haruno Sakura."

"Hn."

"Would you like to sit with me?" She gestured towards the back where a green plush couch stood.

He looked at it for a second before turning back to her and nodding, slowly. She smiled and walked over to the couch, sitting at one end while he sat at the other. There was a huge gap between them that she, for some odd reason, wanted to fill up. It was rather odd, she had only met the guy yesterday and it was for a brief moment, but something about his dark and depressing persona was pulling at her. And she wanted to know what it was about him that had captured her attention.

"So I take it you aren't in the same business industry like Naruto?"

"Yeah right, I can't stand ramen. The only reason why I eat that crap is because he pays for me."

"Then how did you two manage to become friends? Assuming that you two are friends."

Rubbing the temple of his nose, he let out another sigh, "Yeah, best friends. We go back to elementary school."

Sakura touched her heart, "That is so sweet, it's the same with me and my best friend, we've known each other our entire lives."

"_You_ have _friends_?"

Whoa, back up. Did he just insult her? Of course she had friends! So she may be a little nerdy and bit dorky, but that didn't mean she was anti-social! Sure, she may go out as often as a snail left its shell, but when she did she was full of life and would often grab the attention of someone. And just because she put her life on hold to go to medical school didn't mean she abandoned all the people she knew and cared about. This punk was going _so_ going to get it.

Her left eyebrow began to twitch as she glared at him with a scowl, "Yes, I _do_ happen to have friends believe it or not."

"Hn, that's hard to believe."

"_What_?"

Amazing, only three minutes after meeting and he was already insulting her. Normally, you have to get to know the person first before ticking them off with your rude behavior.

"I mean, look at you. Have you seen yourself?"

Suddenly she was at his side, a handful of his shirt in one fist while another hovering close to his face. Most people would have been cowering in fear; Sakura was pretty famous at the hospital for her monstrous temper. But not this guy, nope. The Uchiha heir merely smirked at her, quite enjoying the view of her cleavage. Those Deki-Maid outfits always left enough skin exposing to get a man's mind wandering. He didn't really know what he said to tick her off, but maybe if he kept going, she might just crawl on top of him. Guess he'll just what to keep his mouth running.

"Listen, _Sasuke,_ we just met and you have the audacity to insult me? If I wasn't working right now I'd kick your ass into the next century."

If it were possible, flames would be coming out of her ears by now. Instead of apologizing, he started to lightly chuckle and wrapped a cold hand around the one grabbing onto his shirt. The skin to skin contact sent a shock through her body and she jolted in her seat. She tried to pull back, but he wasn't having any of that, instead, he tugged her closer until their faces were nearly touching. While she smelt the homely scent of coffee and earth, he picked up the aroma of strawberries and cream. She smelt just as good as she looked.

"W-what are you doing? You aren't allowed to touch the maids."

"You aren't like the others." His voice was calm and sultry, making her knees weak and her tongue dry, "Plus you kind of touched me first."

"I don't know what…"

"The other maids, they walk, talk, and breathe like robots. You aren't like them; you actually act like a human being."

She didn't know what to think right at the moment. Did he just bad-mouth her _and_ her coworkers or did he just compliment her? He still wouldn't let go of her hand, and he wasn't even gripping that hard. In all actuality, it felt rather nice to hold his hand. It was warm and a bit comforting. The last time she ever touched a boy, minus yesterday, was _way_ too long ago. Back when cavemen existed and personal space didn't, which he was gleefully penetrating, causing the very nervous pink haired maid to fidget.

"Look, I don't care if how powerful or rich you are, you can't just go around insulting people you don't even know." Her voice may have been a bit high, but she was proud at the fact all those words managed to come out.

"Insulting? Who's insulting? I was just curious."

"Curious about what?"

"That a Deki-Maid could have a life outside this café, it's not every day you actually see one of them out in the real world."

What nerve this guy had, he was speaking about them as if they were mere objects! Herself included!

"W-well of course we have lives! We are human beings; our life doesn't revolve our job." _'Cept me, my job _is_ my life._

"Hn, have you _seen_ the women around here? They act like they have cancer or something."

Her mouth fell open and she punched his arm, which forced him to let her go. Neither missed the heated contact. But Sakura quickly played it off and stood on her feet, looking down at a dazed Sasuke.

"These women happen to be the kindest and hard working people I know, which I'm pretty sure you don't because inside that little bubble of yours, there is no such thing as work. I'm not going to sit here through your little tirade and listen to you put down my _friends _and I. Good day Sasuke."

As she turned to leave, his hand shot out and he seized onto the pink bow holding her entire outfit together. Just one tug at the end and everything would come apart, leaving her naked and exposed. What was this idiot thinking? They were at a children's party for crying out loud! Her body stiffened, and Sasuke could easily see that from behind. Her exposed back stood perfectly straight and still as his grip tightened around the flimsy fabric.

_Curse you Phantom!_

"Uchiha Sasuke, you have three seconds to let me go…"

"Or what? You run back naked?"

She growled, and unbeknownst to her, the dog ears on her head began to lean forward slightly. Her hands balled into shaking fists, knuckles turning white and finger nails digging into soft flesh. Oh how she hated business men - especially this one. How Naruto could put up with this arrogant and malevolent man was beyond her. In fact, she had no idea why his mother would ever allow him to watch over her sweet little daughter. Who in fact happened to be calling her name, expecting her loyal hand maiden to rush over to her side.

"Please let me go, your sister is calling for me."

"Don't you want my apology first?"

She looked over her shoulder and quirked a mocking eyebrow, "You can apologize?"

He smirked, "Amazingly yes, when I feel the need too. I did not mean to aggravate you or mock. Like I said, I was just curious; you're different from everyone else. When you smile and laugh, it doesn't sound automatic, it sounds real. You've caught my attention, Miss Haruno."

Her eyes never left his, and for a moment, she didn't know whether she was looking at a painting or an actual person. He just seemed so perfect, every silken word dripping out of his tempting lips. That was what probably made her even angrier, like he could do no wrong. If this was his attempt to flirt, he was failing miserably; in fact, he was doing an excellent job at turning her off. She wanted to scoff at his futile attempts, walk away and ignore him for the rest of the day. But she had a feeling it wouldn't be that easy, judging by how persistent he was acting, he would most likely find a way to crawl under her skin and stay there. Like a flea to a dog.

"Sakura."

"What?"

"Miss Haruno is my mother, just call me Sakura."

Finally, he let go and she walked back to the tea party without hesitation. Rounding the corner, she could see two tiny thrones had been built at the head of the table, Kiyoha sitting in the biggest one. She was wearing the crown she had come in earlier that morning, but also a pink, velvet robe and glass Cinderella slippers. Her 'king' was wearing a red robe and gold boots. Sakura bowed to the 'royal couple' and smiled brightly.

"Where were you Sakura? We've called you several times!"

"My apologies your majesty, I was busy at the moment. What can I do for you?"

"My knights wish to ride Bubbles, please assist them."

"Bubbles?"

"We named the pony Bubbles!" A little girl squealed.

"Oh I see," She giggled and walked over to the animal, gently petting its mane, "And how many knights do we have?"

"Three!"

"Alright girls, let's get you on Bubbles."

While Sakura was busy helping each girl sit on top of the pony, Sasuke quietly walked into the room, hiding in the shadows of the corner. His gaze never left the pink haired woman, too enraptured by her lively and unusual behavior. Earlier, he thought she was some love-struck girl who was trying to shamelessly flirt with him like so many others before her have. But something about that spark in her eyes seemed to have set him off. She was unique alright, the shortest Deki-Maid he had ever seen. But one of the prettiest too. While they all looked the same, with their tall and beautiful physique, she was petite, and somewhat on the flat side. But that hardly deterred him.

"Look girls, it's the court jester!" Kiyoha pointed her staff at him.

They all turned in his direction. Great, he just knew something was going to happen. His sister always did love making fun and terrorizing him. She must have picked up this sadism from Itachi.

"Get over here and make us laugh!" The girls in the room burst into a fit of giggles.

He really did not want to move at all, but he knew the consequences for not listening to her. Especially on her birthday. First, she'll give him a murderous glare, then she'll pout, call their mother on her cell phone and pretend to cry while explaining in full detail how Sasuke was a 'meanie.' So, being the good older brother that he was, on some level, he sucked it up and walked into the open. Multicolored lights shined down from the ceiling on to the group, a yellow one on Sakura and an orange one just above him. The king, a girl named Suki, whispered something into Kiyoha's ear, both snickered like mad men.

"Sakura! Before you walk around with the knights, there is something we want you to do!"

"Yes, my Queen?"

"We want you to dress Sasuke up in the jester's outfit!" She pointed to the clothing rack where a green and purple jester costume hung. Complete with a jingling hat and over sized elf-like shoes.

"W-what? You want me to dress him up?"

"Yep!"

She chuckled nervously, "B-but, I'm sure your older brother can do it himself, he is a grown man-"

"You dare defy your queen?"

"Ah…"She quickly glanced at Sasuke, who was glaring at a smirking Kiyoha, "No your majesty, I will do as you wish."

She grabbed the outfit and turned to Sasuke, looking at him with pure disgust. She was quite glad he didn't have any emotions on his face at the moment, for if he did, she'd probably die on the spot. Being ten year olds, the little girl's minds began to wander elsewhere and their attentions were turned back to the pony and who was going to the 'grand ball' in castle sparkles the next night. But being an Uchiha, Kiyoha never forgot what she had commanded. The insightful little girl knew very well that when the pair had vanished from her sight for more than five minutes, something was up. And of course, being a queen, she just had to do something about it.

Sakura unbuttoned his white collared shirt with trembling fingers, making sure to not meet his gaze. She could feel his eyes on her, scanning her face to see if she was blushing or drinking in his naked chest. The bastard, he probably thought she was enjoying this. Any other woman would, but not her. She was still ticked off at him, not really sure if she wanted to accept his apology or not.

"Are all the Uchiha's this troublesome?"

"You don't know who we are, do you?"

She shook her head, slipping his shirt off and folding it before putting it on the table. Some of the girls snickered at the two or let out a rather loud 'ew!' before turning back to their tea. Her eyes, currently fixated at his well toned chest, still refused to look up into his smug face. Though she could tell by the little huff he just made that he was smirking and probably thinking of how good he knew he looked. Yes, he had a body she could drool all over like the dog that she was, but that would probably add hot air to his overinflated ego. She really hoped she didn't have to take his pants off. Damn one piece costume.

"Well, what are you waiting for? His pants have to come off too!"

Sakura inwardly groaned, but reluctantly complied. Who knew a ten year old could inflict such torture. She finally looked up at him with pleading eyes, silently begging for him to do something before she died of embarrassment. He carefully brought up his hands and hid them between their bodies, then proceeded to unbuckle his belt.

"So, who exactly are the Uchiha's?" She whispered softly.

He glanced over her head to see if his sister was watching them before saying anything. When the coast was clear, he turned back to Sakura, "We're lawyers and police officers."

She quirked an eyebrow, "You're multi-millionaires based solely on lawyers and policemen?"

"Our family owns five court justice houses and ten police headquarters. Three of my cousins are the country's top attorneys and my father is head chief of police. My older brother is right behind him in command."

Okay, so she was impressed. Very impressed, but she certainly wasn't going to tell him. He might take it as an invitation and try something sneaky on her. Instead, she nodded and opened up the jester costume. While he begrudgingly stepped inside the stupid looking outfit, there was a loud bang downstairs at the front of the café. A commotion quickly followed, shouting could be heard, but it all seemed to be coming from one person. Sakura left Sasuke and walked to the balcony, easily picking up Bou's voice as she tried to calm down the intruder.

"But I wanna see Sakura-chan!"

She gritted her teeth and felt a huge headache coming, it was Naruto. The ever persistent blonde.

"I'm afraid she is busy at the moment; please return when she is off duty."

"But…but she said she'd see me today…"

Leaning over the railing and looking down at his rather pathetic form, she was sorely tempted to throw something at him. Men were so aggravating sometimes. But she had dealt with people like him before and knew exactly what to do to get him off her back.

"Naruto, what are you doing here?" She called out.

"Sakura-chan!" Somehow, he managed to run up all those stairs without breaking a sweat and was at her side before she even knew it. Suddenly, she was engulfed in one of the biggest bear hugs she had ever received. The air was quickly squeezed out of her.

"N-Naruto…can't breathe…"

"I missed you! Did you miss me too?"

"P-please…put me…down."

"Now it's just you and me, no annoying teme to-"

"You're not allowed to touch her dope."

Said dope spun on his heels, Sakura still clutched tightly in his overpowering arms. His eyes hardened and narrowed at the unappealing sight before him. He blanched when he saw his _former_ best friend walk up to him, the costume only half on and bearing his naked chest for the world to see. Just what the hell was this human popsicle stick doing here? And shirtless for that matter! Naruto tightened his hold, unknowingly causing more pain for the pink haired woman. If it wasn't for the fact that she was suffocating, she could probably feel the thick tension in the air.

"Says who?"

"It's the rules loser."

He stuck his tongue out at him. "Then why the hell are you half naked? Trying to sex up _my_ Sakura-chan?"

Sakura almost vomited at the thought and jabbed Naruto in the stomach with her elbow. He immediately let go and bent over, rubbing his sore spot. Sasuke smirked, but it didn't last long when she turned her scowl at him.

"What are you doing walking out here like that? Cover yourself! And as for you!" She turned to the grinning blonde, "What in the world are you doing here?"

"I came by to see you!"

"Naruto, I'm working right now, come back later."

"B-but, what if teme here tried to do something naughty to you?"

"Oh please, the queen will have his head off before he even thinks about it."

Naruto gave her a weird look. "The queen?"

"Yeah, Sasuke's little sister's birthday is today. She's having a royal tea party."

A howl of laughter suddenly burst right out of Naruto as he pointed a finger at the raven haired man, "Y-you're playing tea party with little girls? That's rich!"

"Where's my handmaiden and jester?" A high and shrill voice cried out.

Sakura quickly grabbed Sasuke's hand and ran back into the party room where a frustrated Kiyoha sat in her high chair with arms crossed. Her royal highness did not look pleased at all. Just one push of a button on her cell phone and Sasuke will hear an ear full from dearest mommy.

"Ah, sorry you majesty, we had an intruder in the front of the castle."

There was an evil glint in her eye. "Then bring me the intruder!"

"I don't think that's a really-"

"Silence! Bring him to me!" She banged the table with her cane and the girls cheered.

A low growl rumbled in the back of her throat as she went and fetched Naruto, who was more than happy to accompany her. More laughter filled the air as he took one good, long look at Sasuke. He looked positively ridiculous in that orange and green jester costume. That hat couldn't be any smaller, but he wasn't surprised, nothing could fit over his big head.

"UGH, it's Naruto!" Kiyoha and the rest of the girls made a disgusted face, "Knights, off with his head!"

"Wait, what?"

"Kill him! And bring me his rotting carcass!"

As three little girls proceeded to attack him with plastic swords, Sakura stepped back and stood at Sasuke's side, laughing at the scene. She would have most likely ignored his very presence, something most females her age would _not_ do if they ever had the chance to be next to him, had he not began to run his cold, callous finger down her exposed back. She slightly shivered as he enjoyed her reaction. Her skin was undeniably soft and warm to his touch, like living silk. His mind began to wonder if the rest of her body was just as smooth, but before he could even get to that part, she slapped his hand away and glared at him. Not even attempting to hide her dark red blush. He chuckled, leaning into her so their faces were merely inches apart.

"Should I pick you up after work tomorrow?"

"For what?" She growled incredulously.

"Our date."

She rolled her eyes and scoffed at his futile attempt to woo her.

"I'm a very busy person."

"I thought you said you had a life outside your work."

"Yes, one without you in it."

If he was trying to redue her to a pile of goo with that smoldering look he was giving her, then he seriously had another thing coming. He honestly thought she'd willingly walk into his arms, the poor fool. She almost pitied him. She did not come here to land a date with a millionaire, she wanted and _needed_ this job. If Ino was here right now, she'd probably smack her across the head for turning down this gorgeous man.

"Then what time do you get off?"

Before she could tell him to forget about it, a hand grabbed Sasuke's shoulder and spun him around.

"Dude, help me! I'm getting mauled by midgets over here!"

Sakura quickly scooted away and ran to the other side.

Sasuke smirked. "What, can't handle a bunch of little girls?"

"They're not little girls, they're little monsters!"

Kiyoha jumped up in her seat and pointed her staff at the two men, "Ladies, attack!"

A swarm of tiny princesses, a king, and a queen jumped on to the pair, beating them senseless with their glittering tiaras and magic wands. He never did get his answer, and he probably never will.

_Hm, I should probably get them some more tea._

**Fin**

Okay so I know in the last chapter I said Sasuke's sister was ten. But I changed it. She's turning ten in this chapter. Why? Because I felt like it. And if you're wondering what she looks like, imagine a miniature Sohee, she's from the Korean girl band Wonder Girls. Whom I love!

Dog ears actually lean forward or to the side when they're angry. Trust me, I've see my dog to it plenty of times to know when he's angry.

**ANYWAYS, I already have it planned out who I'm going to put in the next chapter, but other than that I have no idea who else I'm going to do after that. If I could have people vote and give me any suggestions, that would be awesome.**

**R & R thanks!**


	5. Chapter 5: Hatake Kakashi: masque

**Creature Feature Deki Café**

**Hatake Kakashi: masque**

Work was grueling, both mentally and physically, at the hospital and the café. When she wasn't at one place, she was at the other. There was hardly any time for her to sit and take a breather. She spent all her energy, time, and power into her jobs that she completely neglected herself. Her social life seemed to be at its all time low, despite how meager it was in the beginning. She hadn't seen Ino in what seemed like forever. She missed her girlfriends and actually going out and doing something other than giving shots or taking orders. The last time she actually had time to read a book in her one of her favorite coffee shops was _before_ she was an intern.

But she shouldn't be complaining, in fact, she was more than happy with herself at the moment. She had two perfectly well paying jobs that kept her in medical school and paid her bills. Not to mention the fact that her overly protective and worried parents were now off her back. It had taken them a while to accept that fact that their little girl was all grown up and she could do things on her own. They weren't too entirely thrilled with her working at the café, but upon hearing how happy she was and how much she was making, they couldn't really say otherwise.

Letting out a content sigh, she took another sip of her cocoa and bathed in the rays of the sun. Sitting in her condo's balcony, she relished in the warmth of the early morning. Thursdays were late start days, which meant after her shift at the hospital was over; she would head straight for the café. That gave her enough time to prepare for the dinner hour, which happened to be the busiest time of the day. All those hungry, uptight business men and women and their shameless behavior with the Deki-Maids, it was comical, not to mention a bit awkward. She'd only seen a handful of males working there besides Daemon, and they were hardly ever seen. The most popular one had one job, and that was to open doors and hand people their menus. In fact, he was voted along side Bou and herself as the café's most popular maids and butlers.

She couldn't help grinning at the thought, she was never really popular in high school and her name was easily forgettable. But at the café, she was suddenly becoming a requested presence, and she just started too! A blush tinted her delicate features as she remembered all those bedroom looks both sexes sent her way. It wasn't everyday someone asked you for a date after personally meeting you for five minutes! She just had to ask Bou how she managed to handle everything with such ease and brush it off with that charming smile of hers.

As she reluctantly got up from her seat and stretched her arms over her head, the newspaper that was lounging on her lap fell to the floor and opened up to a random page. Bending over and picking it up, she stopped midway when her eyes focused on a familiar face. Her eyes narrowed before saddening widening in shock and curiosity. Standing straight up, she ran inside where the light wasn't so bright and the picture became clearer.

_No…way…_

It couldn't be, it was impossible. The picture was taken in 1986, it was 2010. But that face seemed to have stood still in time, never changing, and looking exactly how she did all those years ago. Sakura knew that face, she knew that person, hell; she _spoke_ to that person on more than one occasion! This person was her superior for crying out loud! It wasn't the face that this person still looked insanely gorgeous twenty-four years later; it was the words right above the smiling portrait that stunned her.

**Missing: Asuka Bou, age 21. Dark blonde hair, blue eyes, 5'9. Date last seen, April 12, 1987.**

_This is a little weird._

* * *

"Good afternoon, Ghost."

A silver haired woman looked up from under her covers. The crinkles near her eyes indicated that she was smiling. Sakura moved towards the windows and pulled back the curtains, letting in a stream on sunlight into the once dark and freezing room. As she opened the window, a warm breeze brushed along her skin and tickled the ends of her chest length hair. Quickly, she scuffled to the side of the bed and readjusted the automatic bed settings to make things a bit more comfortable for the patient. Said patient took notice of how flustered her nurse was and slightly lowered her covers until it hovered over just her mouth.

"I'm fine you know." Her voice was high, but very scratchy. Almost like the sound of a growling cat.

Clearing her throat before actually speaking, just to make sure it didn't give any hint of how she was actually feeling, she smiled at the girl and tucked in the blanket. She grabbed the clipboard at the end of the bed and began reading some of the reports Tsunade and Shizune had written down.

"Yeah, but I just want you to be comfortable."

Ghost, who was more reclusive than shy, refused take off her over sized jacket and kept the hood on at all times. She constantly hid under the blanket until someone had to yank off, and was labeled the 'freakiest' patient anyone had to deal with. Her odd habits, like talking to herself in low whispers when she thought no one was listening, seemed to have spooked some of the other nurses and doctors around the place. The only people who actually had the guts to deal with her and her unusual antics were Sakura, the head doctor (Tsunade), and the head nurse (Shizune).

"Is there something wrong?"

Sakura bit her bottom lip before sighing and plastering a forced smile on her face, "No, everything's alright."

"Your fingers are shaking."

She looked down, and sure enough, they were. Even if she tried to stop, it wasn't going to happen anytime soon. Her mind kept racing back to the newspaper article from earlier that morning. It was just too shocking to ignore or forget. When she went to the café later that night, she was going to asking Bou _a lot_ of questions. What other secrets were hidden in that little shop of horrors? Were the owners really aliens? Did they want to kidnap human beings and turn them into animal maids? Just what the _hell_ was she thinking? Her over imaginative mind was running again. This was getting too out of control. There was a perfectly _logical_ explanation for all of this. Sure, just because that lady looked _exactly_ like Bou, that didn't mean it was actually _her_.

"Your face is pale."

Her attention was immediately returned to reality and she shook her head, brushing all thoughts of said matter away. Though she tried to seem normal and casual on the outside, her smile had faltered and it didn't go unmissed.

"How do you like Creature Feature?"

"Oh, well it's doing great actually! It's wonderful; I really like it so far. Phantom and Daemon were very…er…welcoming to my arrival."

She clapped underneath the blanket and cocked her head to the side, "So what's your animal?"

"I'm a dog, a golden retriever."

"Ah, the most loyal and faithful of canines. You know, that could be considered an honor."

"Really?"

"They must really like you." _I really like you._

Finally, a smile that wasn't forced spread across her lips.

* * *

Unfortunately, it was not Bou who greeted her at the door.

"Good evening Miss Sakura."

"Hey Riona, where's Bou? I need to talk to her about something."

"Oh, I'm afraid she is in a meeting with other maid leaders at the moment, she will be out shortly before dinner time."

Sakura pursed her lips together, seems like her chat with the woman would just have to wait. Just as she was about to head for the dressing room, the amber haired woman tapped her shoulders lightly.

"Lady Phantom has requested a small talk with you in her office before you are dressed, she says it is important."

"Alright, thanks."

She waved to the lion maid and headed for the elevators that would lead her down the café. Three days, counting the first time she had ever stepped into this shop, and she already knew this place like the back of her hand. She couldn't help feel an attachment to the little café, something about it seemed homely and natural, like she had always belonged here. It was how she felt towards the hospital; the world of medical science was her specialty and her safe house. So it was a bit peculiar as to why she felt the same way here. Maybe it was because the people here immediately accepted her with open arms and they didn't judge her just because of her hair color, or her height, or why she continuously pushes herself to become the best. Either way, now that she thought about it, it wasn't such a bad feeling after all.

As the elevator doors opened, she stepped out with an even better mood than she had that morning. Granted, she still hadn't forgotten what she read in the newspapers, but she pushed all that aside. Whilst humming one of her favorite songs, she didn't even notice the strange noises coming from Phantom's office until she was standing right in front of it.

"_Ugh_…_Daemon…_"

_That was odd._

Leaning in a little closer, she pressed her ears gently against the door and tried to listen in closer.

"_Oooh…touch me there again Phantom…"_

It was Daemon's voice, but what was he doing in his wife's office? Suddenly, she heard a rather breathy moan coming from inside, and it certainly wasn't from him.

"_G-God…D-Daemon…_"

She heard a harsh grunting noise and a low growl, loud enough to have come from a something like a tiger. But that was impossible, there weren't any animals around. Just what exactly were they doing in there? That was when she heard another moan, this time a little louder, and a bit desperate. Her crimson haired boss was reduced to whimpers as light shuffling and banging echoed off the walls. It took her a couple minutes to realize, after all the panting and moans and groans, what they were doing. Her face became redder than a flaming tomato as she pulled away from the door. What the hell was she supposed to do now? She couldn't just interrupt her bosses _romp_ time, it would be one of the worst, not to mention awkward, moments she'll never be able to live down. But what were they positively thinking doing the _dirty_ at five-thirty during work hours? And right before dinner hour too!

It would probably be best if she just turned around and walked away right now. But just as she spun on her heels and tried to make a mad dash for the elevators-

"Ack!"

"The FUCK?"

-she slipped on her heels and feel sideways into the door, busting it right open and falling flat on her side.

And boy, what an eye full she got. Her bosses, half naked and pushed up against each other on top of the desk. Yep, there was just no way in hell _or_ heaven she was going to live this down. As Phantom pushed her husband away and rolled over onto the floor, she scurried under her desk and started to collect her scattered close. Meanwhile, Daemon had a scowl plastered onto his angelic face with arms crossed over his chest. He didn't even bother getting dressed; he had no problem being naked in front of anyone at all.

"God damn it, I _told_ you we should have waited until we got home!"

He scoffed at her, "Why? If I feel the need to take you up against your desk I can perfectly well do it."

"Will you shut up? Sakura's right there!"

"Oh," He spared the obviously shocked woman a glance before looking down, "I should probably put on pants shouldn't I?"

"Yes! Hurry up and get out!"

Sakura lay on the floor with her mouth open and gapping like a fish out of water. If this was going to be a daily routine thing, she might reconsider ever coming down here again. Her poor virgin mind, now she had to go serve dinner with all this in her head! She was pretty sure the blush painted on her face was still there and would probably be there the entire night. And week. Her thoughts were brought back into her current spot when a flash of pink and green pushed a whole lot of black out the door before kicking it shut.

Phantom slowly turned to Sakura with a nervous smile on her sweat gleaming face. Dressed in a mini green sundae dress, decorated with blue beadings, and pink tights with bright red cherries, she certainly did not look like the type of person who would engage in _that_ type of strenuous activity. She was still trying to catch her breath when the pink haired woman got up on shaky legs and looking at her with a horrified face.

"Well…at least you know he doesn't cheat on me with the other maids." She chuckled nervously, trying desperately to forget about the entire thing.

"Uh…yeah…y-you wanted to see me?"

"Yes I did!" But as she made for her desk, she quickly stopped, "You know what? Let's talk about this in the other office!"

As they exited the room, with the aroma of sex still in the air, they passed by a closed door not too far from Phantom's. It was all white, bare and with no markings on it. The door handle was pure silver and a tiny black heart key chain hung from it.

"Whose office is that?"

"The _other_ boss."

She simply shrugged, not exactly caring at the moment what she meant by that and followed her soundlessly into another empty room. Unlike the others, this one was bare, with only a desk and two chairs. No pictures lined the wall or statues to brighten up the scenery. Sakura took a seat in front of the brown desk as Phantom took a seat behind it.

"Alright, so tonight we have a huge guest coming in. Well, he's not _that_ big, but he's pretty famous in the book industry. Hatake Kakashi, have you heard of him?"

Sakura shook her head.

"He's pretty much Jiraiya's protégé, taking on the whole Icha Icha Paradise empire after his bosses retirement. And let me tell you, despite how perverted those books are, believe me I know; Daemon reads them in bed all the time, Kakashi is filthy rich. Just as rich as Uzumaki and the Uchiha's. And he's coming here tonight with his boss and two of his boss's friends. It's for some stupid celebration, and guess what; you're going to be serving them!"

Why is she not surprised?

"There's a big bonus waiting for you at the end of the day, just keep our guests entertained and you'll do fine."

"Um, who are these other guests?"

It was a miracle she got her voice back and that it sounded normal. She was expecting it to be high pitched and shaking, like some scarred dog. Oh the irony. If she could bark (no pun intended) out laughing, she might have just done.

"Let's see…what's his name again…oh yeah! Orochimaru! Some white faced freak with a fetish for kids and what's her face…big chesty woman," Phantom stuck her hands out to emphasize her description, "Tsubasa..Tsubame…"

"Tsunade?"

"Yeah, that's right, Tsunade!"

At this statement, her face went from bright red to ghastly pale. No! This couldn't be happening; her grandmother was coming _here_ for dinner! She was going to see her most prized (her only actually) grandchild wearing a very revealing, very sexy outfit and flirting with random strangers like some airheaded bimbo! Oh, she could just hear the scolding she'll surely be receiving tonight. Her angry shouts and intimidating fist pumping in the air. That woman was scarier than a raging bull.

"They are very well respected in this city and I expect for them to receive the same treatment here, it is an honor to have all three at our café, so I don't want any screw ups! Oh and don't forget about Kakashi, he's the man of the hour, so I want you to pay extra attention to him."

"Uh, w-where's Bou? She's coming too right?"

"Oh yeah, she's just in a meeting with some of the other crew leaders. She'll be down there as soon as dinner starts. Which reminds me, you should hurry up and change, the doors open in half an hour."

So in a recollection of all the disturbing things that she had encountered for the day, she had 'Bou's' missing article in her mind, the steamy clichéd office sex between her bosses, and news that her grandmother would be (sort of) join her for dinner tonight. Life just gets better and better.

"This goes to the third table." A waiter pushed a golden cart with four steaming trays towards her before returning to the kitchen.

Sakura sucked in a good amount of air before pushing the cart in the direction of the table. Her mind already flooding with multiple excuses to use when confronted with her seething grandmother. There was only one other alternative that she could use that would get her out of shark infested waters; get her stone faced drunk. That shouldn't be too hard, Tsunade was already an avid drinker and they did serve sake here. Though, she would feel awful guilty if it came down to that. She really didn't want to deceive Tsunade, but she also really didn't want to her how disappointed she was in her.

As she neared the table, she could hear the loud and boisterous voice that was her dearest grandmother's. She must have started drinking before she even ordered the food, that wasn't good. It was best to eat something first before consuming alcohol, that way the food inside could absorb the mind numbing liquid. Anyone knew that! So why the hell did the head doctor of Tokyo General have to be so oblivious to everything?

"Orochimaru you scum bag! You need to find yourself a girl and settle down already!"

Said man sent the busty blonde and sneer.

"Tsunade, don't you know? He prefers _men_ to warm his bed!"

At this, a howl of laughter could be heard. If looks could kill, Jiraiya and Tsunade would have been dead ten times over.

"I don't think Orochimaru appreciates the jokes." Kakashi broke in, mixing his drink with his straw and a bored expression on his face.

"Thank you Hatake-san." The black haired man growled out of irritation.

"Careful Kakashi, he might invite you back to his pen house!"

"He likes little boys, not grown men idiot!"

Before the knife in his hand could be thrown, Sakura rounded the corner and appeared before the stunned group. A calming, and radiating smile was drawn on her face as she stepped in front of the cart with a hand on her hips and eyes directed to the middle man. Almost instantly, Kakashi felt his heart pounding against his chest and the urge to grope something with boobs immensely. Particularly this tasty little morsel standing right in front of them. Her hair was pinned up in a loose and messy bun; several strands fell from their pins and hung freely around her face. However, she still made it look very elegant. Her creamy neck was exposed to the world, just beckoning him to mark it for himself.

Hell, he just looked at the girl for only three seconds and he was already acting like some sex deprived horn dog. God, he was such a pervert. Meanwhile, his dinner mates were each eliciting their own reactions to the stunning Deki-Maid standing before them. Tsunade was gaping, both from shock and utter horror. Jiraiya felt a nose bleed coming and quickly ducked his head. Orochimaru…was oddly silent and simply stared at the girl with no expression.

"Your orders, my lady and gentlemen."

"S-Sakura?" Tsunade stuttered.

"Nice to see you again!" Jiraiya greeted a little too enthusiastically.

The blonde woman turned and growled at her white haired companion, threatening him with a large fist shaking in his face.

"I'm Hatake Kakashi." Amazingly, his voice came out nice and casual. He greeted her with single wave.

Sakura smiled, "Haruno Sakura. I know who you are. You're the famous author right?"

"Well, I'm not _that_ famous…"

"Are you kidding me?" Jiraiya slapped a hand on his back, "This kid's the next J.K Rowling! His works are a master piece!"

"Jiraiya, please,"

"Seriously, please! J.K Rowling? What she writes is literature, what _he _writes is porn!" Tsunade pointed an accusing finger at him.

"Then why is always at the number one spot on the bestsellers list?"

"Because there are a lot of lonely people in this country."

As Sakura smiled through their bickering, she quickly proceeded to place their dishes on the table. All the while ignoring Orochimaru's awkward staring. Seriously, he hadn't taken his eyes off of her since she arrived, and not that she minded people staring since it was usual around here, his yellow snake-like eyes were a bit eerie. Sensing this uneasy tension, Kakashi slipped past the still arguing pair and scooted closer to the corner. Her strawberry and cream scent overrode his senses, she was like a walking ad for perfume. It was simply intoxicating.

"So…what's with the dog ears?"

She looked up and quickly noticed how close he was, as she pushed another plate of food down the table, their fingers slightly brushed against each other. And a small shock overflowed through her skin. Pulling back before he could notice her blush, she inched towards the other side, hoping he didn't feel anything either.

"Well, all the maids wear something to represent their animals."

"And yours happens to be a dog's."

"Yes, does it bother you?"

"Nope, not at all."

She couldn't help but grin at his quick answer. It was a shame half his face was covered by a turtle neck and scarf, not to mention the eye patch around his left eye; she would have loved to see his handsome face. It was quite obvious he was smitten with her, and if she played her cards right, she might be able to see his face by the end of the night.

"I actually really like dogs; I have a couple of them back home."

"Any of them as cute as me?" Adding a wink at the end, because that was a sure sign of undeniable flirting.

"Oh, I would never compare you to one. You remind me of a cat actually." In more ways than one.

"Really? I'm more of a dog person myself. Though I don't have the time to take care of a pet at the moment. I'm so busy with my life at the moment."

"Hm, that's too bad…"

It was hard to miss the dreamy look in his lazy eye. If she hadn't known any better, she might have suspected him drinking or being high before arriving here. A giggle escaped her lips as he continued to stare at her with his chin resting in his palm while she stowed away all the extra silverware.

"Say Kakashi, would you care to explain to me what genre of books you write?"

Instantly, he felt his pride go up a notch and gladly nodded his head.

"I write every type of books; adventure, horror, mystery, fantasy, everything."

"And let me guess, they all relate back to romance right?"

He shrugged a little, "You may say that…"

"It's alright, I like romance novels too; they're kind of my guilty pleasure."

"Maybe you should read some of my stuff then, I'm sure you'll like it." By now, he was leaning in so close he was threatening to fall over. Luckily, she was still thinking clearly enough to gently push him back down and move back to the rolling cart.

"I'm sure I will, now, if there's anything else you would like; please do not hesitate to ask."

Before he could stop himself, he blurted out, "I'd like to have you please."

All eyes turned to the one man they never thought would utter, let alone shout, such a thing.

"Are you alright, Orochimaru?" Tsunade asked, placing the back of her hand against his forehead. He swatted it away and growled viciously, but never looking up from his hands.

"Whoa, he actually has hormones…that aren't raging for little boys!"

However, past all the jokes and laughs, there was one other person sitting at the table who did not find his little outburst amusing. Why? Because despite his easy and laid back nature, Kakashi was known to become pretty possessive and jealous sometimes. _Sometimes_. Usually he would let things slide or brush it off like there was no care in the world. But tonight was different. He wasn't expecting to meet a beautiful young woman who had instantly captured his attention, but when he did, he sure as hell wasn't complaining. In fact, he had assumed it would be an easy win and that he'd walk out of this café with her name and number. There was just no way he'd leave without at least one tempt to ask her out.

Then Orochimaru had to open his big, annoying mouth and ruin everything. He didn't even know the man actually _liked_ other human beings in that way. Let alone a _woman_, a grown woman at that. He had always found the man odd, freaky, and just plain frightening. But never in his twelve years of knowing this man did he ever think him to be his competition. It was more like an insult to his ego rather that rivalry. He had plenty of women throwing themselves at his feet, he bed many women who claimed him to be _godly_ in bed. But the one woman he might actually want to get to know, past the face and makeup…_he_ decides he wants to act like a normal human male.

Damn you Orochimaru.

He sent a glare to said man, which was returned to him tenfold.

As they all began to enjoy eating their food, with Tsunade scolding Jiraiya for trying to hit on her granddaughter, Kakashi lowed his 'mask' and popped a piece of chicken into his mouth. The raven haired man simply ate his spaghetti like he hadn't just shouted his thoughts into the world, oh, that son of a bitch was good. Well, two can play it at that!

"You know you don't have a chance with her."

His yellow eyes glanced up from his food once before returning back to his delicious meal, not even bothering to address the man. Inside, Kakashi was fuming. He acted so nonchalantly, so placid and calming that it irked him. And it was such a rare thing for something to bother him to this degree. He was so used to getting his way and just taking everything nice and easy that when an event to this magnitude comes up, he might just suffer from a cardiac arrest while just _trying_ to accomplish his desired goal. And let it be known that Hatake Kakashi does not have that many goals in life.

"She's mine, I saw her first."

"I don't see your name on her."

ARG! How he wanted to just beat him to a bloody pulp. That annoying slimy voice of his, those jaded, beady eyes, and his disgusting pale complexion. He should just tell the poor, possibly virgin, man that there was no way in hell a gorgeous woman like Sakura would ever find him attractive. That was probably the only thing that kept Kakashi's spirits up, knowing that she'll easily reject him and waltz right into his arms. He could see it now, her and him cruising in his prized 1962 Ford Galaxie convertible as they drive into the sunset…

"I need more water."

He always has to ruin the moment.

He didn't _need_ to say everything out loud, he just _wanted_ to.

He wanted to throw Kakashi off his game.

And he was doing a great job at it.

There was a red button at the front of the table with elegant cursive writing under it saying 'Press for Service.' He pushed the button and continued eating. The other two may not have seen it, but Kakashi didn't. He never missed that smug smirk of his. Gripping his fork for brute strength, he didn't realize his indents into the utensil until a familiar body came bouncing around the booth. He dropped the fork, finger prints and all, and turned his attention to the lovely pink haired woman.

"You rang?"

"Water, please."

Sakura nodded and grabbed his cup, returning a second later with it full to the brim.

"Here you are Orochimaru-sama." She only added –_sama_ at the end because he was her elder, just as superior as her grandmother and it was only respectful if she addressed him in that way.

But what she failed to notice was the worried look in Kakashi's eyes, like he had been betrayed or something. He had stupidly mistaken her kind honorific as a small flirt. There was only one way yo grab her attention, and he only used this as a last resort. It may have looked like desperation, but he couldn't help it. He just loved beautiful women. Especially this beautiful woman. He had subconsciously pulled his mask up before Sakura arrived, something he was predisposed and used to doing around people he didn't trust, but his grip tightened around the edges as he called out to her.

"Sakura, I didn't know you worked for your grandmother."

Said woman turned to him with her bright emerald eyes that seemed to gleam under the soft, glowing light, "Oh, yeah. Ever since I started medical school. The hospital's like my second home."

"Really? I'm surprised you haven't seen me there yet."

"Excuse me?"

Tsunade chuckled, "I don't know what he does, but every week, he comes in with more broken bones and bruises than I can count. We pretty much have a room reserved just for him."

"Hm, that is interesting. The reckless type, aren't we?"

"Indeed. Would you like to see one of my latest scars?"

"Um…I don't know if this is the most appropriate time, people are eating."

"Nonsense, no one cares, just look, I think you'll find it pretty cool."

As he untied his scarf and pulled down the neck of his sweater, Sakura's eyed widened. Slowly, he pulled the eye patch off to reveal a long and deep gash that ran from the middle of his cheek, through his left eye, and stopping at the base of his hair line. She could help with stare at it with morbid fascination.

"Show off." Jiraiya grumbled.

"I've seen worse." Orochimaru merely explained, "I've had worse."

_Bite me. _He glared daggers at the man.

"That's…amazing…"

Turning back to her, he watched with glee as her eyes stayed fixated on him and him only. It was like no one else was with them, watching with odd faces as the pair interacted with each other.

"You can touch it if you like."

"Oh now I couldn't…"

"But you want to."

Her eyes darted from a frustrated looking Jiraiya, to a murderous Tsunade. But her arm still rose on its own accord and her fingers reached for his face. It felt rough and dry under her touch, compared to how soft the rest of his skin was. She ran her index finger from the top of his head, gently going around his eye to the middle of his cheek. He was staring right at her, but she didn't even notice. Her brain was in medical student mode at the moment and it was working over time. His left eye was completely different from his right one; it was red, just like what's his face…Sasuke. The scare should have left him blind, but he could see perfectly well from it.

"What do you think?"

"I-"

"I think we've seen enough."

That good for nothing _snake_

"I agree." Both Tsunade and Jiraiya snarled.

Sakura quickly dropped her hand before backing away slowly.

"Well, I should let you all get back to your dinner. Bye!"

Quickly leaving before anything could be said, she darted behind the booth stalls and put a hand over her heaving chest. This was getting a bit too out of hand, first Naruto, then Sasuke, and now Kakashi? Ridiculous, simply ridiculous. And they all broke the rules on the first night too! Well…technically, she touched Kakashi, so it wasn't really his fault. He tricked her! Showing off that cool looking scar of his, who did he think he was? Just because he's a millionaire off his books didn't mean she was easy prey. She will _not_ fall for anymore of his tricks.

"What, _what_ did you just say?" There was a loud crash followed by some hasty shuffling.

Sakura peeked over a stall to see Jiraiya holding her grandmother down while she waved angry fists in the air. Her death glare and anger were all directed to the one man she vowed never to be fooled by.

"I simply asked if I could take your granddaughter out to dinner tomorrow night."

"Hell to the _NO!_"

Inwardly, Sakura groaned and she felt the urge to slap her forehead. What is it with these mean and the need to ask her out? Don't they realize she had a very busy and hectic life? She couldn't afford the luxury of romance at the moment, literally! Forget about earlier, she was just hoping Jiraiya's grip loosened and Tsunade delivers a well deserved kick to the silver haired man.

"You are too old for her!"

"I'm pretty sure she's old enough to make her own decisions, otherwise she wouldn't be working here if she had to ask for your permission."

"Why you-"

"Sakura,"

"EEK!"

She jumped as a cold hand rested on her shoulders, her form slightly shaky. But as she turned around to greet the person, her face paled and her body shook. It was like at a ghost, or into the past. Or a ghostly past. A beautiful and terrifying ghostly past. Her skin went cold as her heart began to race; her pulse quickening and the air became thick with suspense. She took deep and hollow breaths as her eyes looked into the empty blue eyes staring right back at her.

"Are you alright Sakura?"

"Y-yeah, Bou, perfectly fine."

"You look frightened, did I scare you?"

"N-no, of course not! I was just s-surprised is all. I haven't seen you since I got here."

She smiled, and it was one of the scariest things she had ever seen. The picture, she looked just like the picture, from all those years ago.

"I'm sorry, I'm afraid I was held up in a meeting with all the other crew leaders. I hope my absence did not disturb you."

"Nope not at all, just wanted to know where you were!"

"I hope you have been productive whilst I was away."

"Yep, just heading back to the kitchen to hand out some more orders!"

"Excellent, I will leave you to your task then." The blonde woman smiled and walked away.

Sakura let out a breath she didn't even she was holding. That was freaky, no terrifying, no petrifying! She couldn't look at her the same way anymore; it was gone, tainted by that newspaper article. Sure, it could all just be in her imagination, and her mind was running wild. Either way, she had to keep this all to herself, or else everyone around here would think she was a…a…a mad dog! And that she needed to be put down to sleep! She could just imagine what Phantom would say, laughing at her like she was some lunatic before kicking her weirdness out of her grotesque office.

_Whatever you do, don't say a word!_

Just as she turned to head back to the kitchen, the blinker around her wrist started to glow red.

Around the corner, Orochimaru looked into his empty glass cup, "I need more water."

**Fin**

HAHAHA some Orochimaru crack thrown right at cha. I hate him, a lot, but he's so much fun to use when I need to let loose some pure, un-adult rated crack and steam! And don't worry; I won't include him other than an accompanying guest.

**Now I will be taking votes for next chapter's couples! I might actually know who I want next, but I want you guys to choose**

**I know this chapter seemed a little weird (okay, maybe a lot) but I am a weird person. So my personality gets translated into this story.**

**R & R thanks!**


	6. Chapter 6: Uchiha Itachi: risqué

**Creature Feature Deki Café**

**Uchiha Itachi: risqué**

It was another late start day, which meant Sakura didn't have to be at work until late afternoon. It also meant that she could sleep in, snuggled between her fluffy comforter and cozy blankets. After a long night at work, catering to a perverted author with an eye patch, she needed the rest. The sun had risen over an hour ago, and tiny streams of light filtered through her closed curtains into her dark, warm room. Thankfully, those rays of light couldn't reach the dozing girl and wake her from her deep slumber. Unfortunately though, that didn't mean something else wouldn't.

Her front door is picked open, a paper clip bent straight and toothpick was sticking out of her lock. She obviously didn't hear it; her head was under her baby blue pillow. Slowly, the door pushed open as the intruder carefully took into her humble abode. With each careful step, the stranger closed the door shut, quietly, and proceeded to make his way down the hall. The figure stopped for a second, looking up at the pictures hanging on the wall and smiled. Some of family and some of friends, but all together they told a story.

The stranger tore his eyes away from the wall of pictures and continued walking down the hall. Once in a while, he would stop to look into a room, checking to see if his intended target was in there. Four rooms later, the only one he hadn't checked yet was the one all the way at the end. The door was slightly open and a yellow stream of light made its way out into the dark hallway. With a feral grin, he made his way to the door and sneaked a peek inside. There, lying underneath the mass of blankets and pillows was a tiny lump.

Bingo, prey was been detected. Set lasers from stun, to pounce.

With a gentle push, the door slowly swung open and the intruder crawled inside on all fours. Thankfully, her floor was carpet and didn't make those obnoxious creaking noises like wooden ones. Makes stalking and spying all the more easy. He stood on his knees, right beside her queen sized bed and took a big whiff of air. His eyes fluttered shut, her smell was all over the place and it smelt wonderful, like lilac and honey. He rested his head on the mattress and gripped the bed sheet, her scent was all over the place and he just couldn't get enough of it.

Suddenly, a rustle under the covers caught his attention and he quickly leaned straight back. He heard some grumbling and a tiny moan as she turned her body towards him, face still under her over stuffed pillow. Her hand was hanging loosely out in the open, bent in an awkward position. Her fingers twitched and moved, like they had a life of their own, as she searched for something lost in a sea of blankets.

_She's so cute…_

It took all his will power to not jump in and snuggle into her warmth. He was a man possessed! (Or obsessed, as the teme liked to put it. But so was he!) Ever since that faithful meeting all those nights ago, okay so it had only been two days since he last saw her, he'd been hooked. Her smile was endearing, and it made him feel like he was the most special person in the whole world. Or perhaps it was her eyes, those glimmering verdant orbs that were solely focused on him and no one else.

It may have been her job to _purposely_ flirt and shower attention on him, but on a deeper level, he felt like she was enjoying it too. Unlike those other Deki maids who moved, acted, and felt like robots; Sakura was _real_. His hand snaked its way through the sheets and nimbly touched her hand. Yep, she felt real. Real soft, real nice. Her skin felt like silk, it was smooth but also scarred. He saw little scratch marks here and there, but he didn't mind. It made her all the more human.

Unfortunately though, one of those scars happened to be _very_ sensitive. It rested on top of her second knuckle and was a rusted red. His middle finger accidently brushed against it, which sent a major shock wave through her nerve bundles. Instantly, she shot up and gasped, clutching her hand to her heart. Her wide eyes scanned the room once over and let out a sigh of relief. For a second there, she had surely thought someone snuck in, but blew it off as an accident. Her hand must have just rubbed against the mattress by accident; there was no way someone could get into her well secured house.

But as she lied back down on her bed again and closed her eyes. She stayed like that for a few seconds before jumping of her warmth zone and fell flat on her butt. An ear piercing screamed ripped through the room as she pointed an accusing finger at her masked intruder, who was watching her with obvious amusement.

"Just who the _hell_ are you?"

This wasn't the appropriate time for questioning! She had to subdue him and bound his limps before interrogating him! Quickly, she ran to her drawer and opened the first bin, grabbing a pair of black gloves and putting them on. She flexed her fingers into a tight fist.

"I don't know who you are, but you picked the _wrong_house to break into!"

At this, she crouched into a very threatening taekwondo stance that would ensure some broken bones in the next few seconds. Noticing this, the intruder immediately got up and waved his hands in front of him frantically.

"W-wait, Sakura-chan it's me!"

Hold the phone, did she know that voice?

"Naruto?"

He tore off this black mask and grinned, "Yep!"

Within a second, she was in front of him and bonked his head with a hard fist.

"What are you doing here?"

"Ow…" He rubbed his aching head and sat on the bed, "Well…I missed you! I haven't seen you for a while and I just couldn't wait to see you again! I've been real busy lately so I can't go to the café as often as I used to."

"Naruto, the last time you saw me was two days ago. You can't just brake into someone's house just because you miss them! This is against the law you know! Even if you are rich and powerful, I can still have you arrested!" She looked positively ferocious standing there and yelling at him with her tiny hands on her tiny hip. But beside all that, she was such a _dream_.

"Y-you're not going to turn me into the cops are you?"

He pouted rather cutely, looking more like a lost puppy rather than some idiot millionaire. Sakura rolled her eyes and rubbed the temple of her nose.

"No, I won't turn you in."

"Thanks, you're the best!"

"But, you are paying for a new lock because I just know you broke mine!"

Great, just great. Her plan of sleeping in until late afternoon and a quick stop at the coffee shop just totally went down the drain in less than a second. Instead, she was stuck entertaining wonder boy until she had to leave for work. As took her gloves off and carefully stowed them away in her dresser drawer, something clicked inside.

"Naruto, how the hell do you know where I live?"

"Uh…" He brought his two index fingers together and smiled sheepishly, "I sort of, kind of hired a private detective to follow you around and find out where your house is."

She felt a vein pop, "You…hired someone to stalk me?"

"No! I just wanted to know where you live! So I can stop by every now and then to…you know…chat." He smiled so sweetly, like he hadn't just broken into her house or admitted the fact that some had been tailing her clueless ass for quite some time.

"Naruto…"

"Hey, I'm not the only one who did it, teme hired someone too!"

"Who's 'teme'?"

"Sasuke," The blonde growled, "He still hasn't soaked in the fact that you're _my_ girlfriend now.

_Oh_ **hell** no.

Haruno Sakura was a woman. Not just any woman. A strong, intelligent, and fiercely independent woman with a mean streak. She wasn't a trophy, an object, or a toy. And as her pet fish as her witness, she was not going to become some pretty girl some rich bastard could have. With her shoulders square and feet planted on the floor, she gave Uzumaki the coldest glare she had ever mustered up. It was the one that sent people running away with their tails between their legs. However, the class dunce just sat there with a curious look on his face.

"Listen to me," Gosh, she sounded angry, "I am _not_ your girlfriend, alright? I will _never_ me your girlfriend. I am not some object you people can fight for, got that? I am not interested in establishing a relationship with people who hire others to stalk me. If I were to be involved with someone, I want them to be _normal_. Now that I have had my say, I suggest you leave before I lose my temper and dropkick your ass into next week!"

To any sane person who wasn't hopelessly in love with the pink haired girl, they might have heeded her warning and bolted for the door. But this was Naruto. The ramen eating, bathroom peeping, love struck fool. Sure, he heard every word she had just said. But it went through one ear and right out the other in a matter of seconds. Instead, his attention was solely focused on her lush pink lips. Without even thinking, he was at her side and hands on her waist. Her eyes were as huge as balloons; he just popped her personal bubble and was now asking for a personal whoop ass.

"Let me-"

But before she could get another word in, his mouth had conveniently placed over hers. If it wasn't for her morning breath, she would have tasted _divine_. It was like he just tasted heaven for a second, or angel food cake. He pulled her closer until his body was pressing against hers in a very intimate hug.

As his wandering hands groped every part of her body that wasn't covered in ducky pajamas, Sakura, slightly dazed, grabbed her curling iron and smacked him right across the head. He fell back with a yelp and she wobbled around until her back hit the wall behind her.

"Damn it Naruto!"

Despite the fact that he could very well be suffering a concussion, he smiled.

"Hey Sakura-chan, you're breath stinks in the morning. But even still, I'd kiss you all over again."

"Do you have a will?"

He quirked his eyebrow, "Yeah, why?"

"Do you already have names of people who will inherit all your possessions if anything were to happen to you?"

"Yeah…I don't understand, what're you talking about?"

She cracked her knuckles, "Because Naruto; I'm going to _kill_ you!"

The sound of Naruto's _girlish_ screaming could be heard throughout the neighborhood complex.

"But Sakura-chan!"

Said woman stopped dead in her tracts, right in the middle of the busy sidewalk and spun on her heels until she was face to face with her blonde nuisance, "No Naruto! You cannot come to work with me."

"Why not?" Honestly, his voice was whinier than her best friend Ino's. And she was _whiny_.

"One, because you bother me. Two, it's my _job_. And three, because no boys are allowed."

He pouted, "But that annoying Daemon kid's always there!"

"That's because he _owns_ the place! Now, if you don't let me get to work on time I will kick your ass until you see stars!"

As she quickly scurried away, he shouted over his shoulder, "I'll take you home after work!"

At this point, she didn't know whether to laugh at his enthusiasm or cry from frustration. Either way, she was going to be stuck with him for a very, very long time.

* * *

Phantom was shaking.

Daemon was worried.

He glanced over to his anxious wife and felt the need to take her completely in his arms and sooth her until all her troubles were gone. But seeing as how they were in front of _her_, he wasn't allowed to do such a thing. Ghost _hated_ affection and would try at all costs to avoid such feelings and emotions. Instead, he grabbed her hand from under the table, making sure their boss didn't see, and rubbed her palm with his thumb. She smiled lightly, but her eyes remained focused on the computer screen.

"Ghost, I don't know what to say."

The little girl, hidden beneath a silver scarf and black hood merely shrugged.

"You don't have to say anything," Her voice was still as soft, maybe even softer as a result from the accident, "I just need you to do it."

"But why her? She has a _life_ outside this shop; she has a family and friends who care deeply for her. If you take her away, you'd be breaking more than one heart."

"I have to agree with Phantom. Those other girls we took, they didn't have a life before they came to the café. They were abandoned, alone, no home or anything to keep them alive. Sakura-san is different, and this job for her is only temporary."

Ghost cocked her head to the side, "Are you going against my orders?"

Even if her tone was still and calm, it sent a foreboding shiver down both their spines. They knew what it was like to be at the receiving end of her wrath and neither had any plans at being there again. Phantom, being the braver of the two raised her chin a little higher.

"Please, we're begging you. Don't do this, not to her at least."

"But…I _like_ her."

It was very rare for their boss to have an interest in anything other than running the café. And when someone caught her eye, she would do just about _anything_ to have it. Even going so far as to break her own arms or tearing her opponent's eyes out.

"There are other girls…"

"I don't want _other_ girls," On the other end of the screen, Ghost lifted her laptop and brought it close to her face, so that they may see the cruelty and viciousness in her dark, magenta eyes, "You both know better than to test my patience. I want Sakura. And you both will get her for me. Wipe her memory, transform her, and send her to me. That's all."

The screen went blank and all was silent.

Phantom stood and sat in her husband's lap, burying her face in the crook of his neck. He rubbed gentle circles on her back and rested his cheek on top of her head.

"Are we doing the right thing? Taking these girls and changing them into…into 'robots'?"

"They're not robots, they're still human beings."

She rolled her eyes, "Yeah, as human as a rock. They have no personality, no life in them. It's repulsing to watch them take orders so casually."

He kissed her forehead, "We saved them from a life of poverty and prostitution. We did them a favor. Now dry your eyes, dinner hour is starting soon."

"Carry me to my office, please."

Because he was a sucker for his wife's childish whiny voice that she used to get what she wanted, he complied and lifted her up. She leaned into his ear and whispered something he almost missed.

"We're going to free Sakura, before it's too late."

* * *

"Ah, Sakura-san, a pleasure to see you again." Bou bowed and handed her an envelope.

"T-thanks, Bou."

She warily took the letter and forced a smile. There was just no way she was just going to forget everything in one whole night. She still remembered the newspaper and the fact that the woman standing before her was supposedly kidnapped. Quickly, she maneuvered her way around the busty blonde and scurried past the other maids, in case they too were missing persons, and made her way to the dressing room.

Plopping down on a cushion chair, she let out a breath of air she didn't even realize she was holding, and ripped open the creamy yellow envelope. Pulling out the three sets of papers, she realized that they were instructions for that night's dinner. In very neat cursive, written in crimson ink, Phantom carefully explained in full detail of her guests and his accompanying friends.

_Dearest Pup a.k.a Sakura,_

_This is your awesome possum boss, Phantom._

_I apologize that I cannot personally tell you who you are serving or properly instruct you at the moment. I'm quite busy actually, business has surprisingly gone up and Daemon and I are in the process of accommodating new financers and securing spots for some of more famous guests. Unfortunately in this day and age, money gets you the bests seats, even our most loyal of fans and costumers have to be put on a wait list._

_Anyways, concerning about tonight, this is a BIG one._

_Well, okay not that nig, but he is a powerful, rich, and popular adversary. Co-president of Akatsuki Talent Agency, he's ranked fourth as Tokyo's most powerful men. His stoic and enigmatic nature portrays him as a force to be reckoned with, especially in the business battlefield. _

_His name is Uchiha Itachi._

At this, she spat out the water she drank from her water bottle.

_Yes, you read this correctly. Uchiha Itachi, as in the son of Uchiha Fugaku and older brother to Uchiha Kiyoha and Uchiha Sasuke. Personally, I have absolutely no idea why he's coming. I've never seen him step a foot inside this café before. But I'm assuming his brother and sister had something to do with it. Which reminds me, I also have no idea if they will be accompanying him or not. But what I do know is that he is bringing several of his friends with him._

_And from the information I have gathered about him; he's really not the type to pay attention to women. Namely the type that work in my café. He's pretty chauvinistic (stupid ass faced bastard) and a total loner. He doesn't drink, I'm pretty sure he doesn't breath either. Anyways, this guy is going to be a toughie, but seeing as how you're a _golden retriever, _I'm pretty sure you can handle this. And if you can't, it's perfectly fine. We'll just send someone to help you out. _

_They're here for some business party, so all we want to do is just create a fun and happy atmosphere. Seeing as how you've quickly become one of our most popular maids in only a matter of days, I'm positive you can accomplish that. _

_The names, information, and instructions on the guests are all stabled to the back. _

_Good luck!_

_Love, Phantom._

Surprisingly, she wasn't nervous. A little anxious, but overall she was quite collected with herself. She was actually pretty happy and proud with herself. To know that her boss had this much faith in her, after working here for a short period of time was enough to give her a confidence boost. Even if she was going to have to serve a man who probably didn't have a happy bone inside his cold and desolate body, she was going to do it with a smile. There was just no way she would fail this, after all, if she could charm her way in Kakashi's perverted heart and Sasuke's frozen one, she could easily put a smile on this Itachi's face.

She put on her red corset and black skirt with ease and dabbed on a fair amount of makeup. Placing her ears and tail on, she looked at herself once in the mirror before heading out the door. For a second there, she almost didn't recognize that person. It was just so different to see her so glamorous when really; she was a very homely person.

Her appointed guest was on the third floor, reserved for only the most acclaimed and recognized of people. This Itachi must have been a real big deal. But Sasuke never spoke of him and she had to wonder why. Grabbing a towel, she placed it over her arm and made her way up the stairs, acknowledging people who sent her flirtatious looks every now and then. Even if she did end up working here for months, she'd probably never get used to all the attention.

Walking down the narrow isle, she was surprised to hear rather loud and boisterous commotion coming from all the way at the end of the isle. There were a lot of cankerous noises, some shouting and glass breaking. She stopped just before rounding the corner to enter the large booth area and leaned down a little to sneak a peek at what she would have to face. Her eyes nearly jumped out of their sockets.

Men, they were all men!

Not that she was surprised or anything, but they were all men!

Even the feminine looking blonde was a man!

On top of that…they were completely destroying the place!

Broken dishes, appetizers splattered everywhere; the place was a complete and utter disaster. Sure, this place wasn't a five star restaurant, but that didn't mean they couldn't respect the café! This cozy little shop was like her third home, the second being the hospital. And if anyone messed with her home, they messed with her. Just as she contemplated on marching right in there and giving these immature men and earful, a silver haired man with violet eyes unconsciously threw a breadstick her way, nearly hitting her head.

_That mother-!_

"Hey, where the hell is our fucking maid? I'm starving over here!"

"Hidan, calm down."

Sakura's ears perked up at that voice, she almost thought for a moment that Sasuke was here. But when she sneaked a peek again, she he was nowhere to be seen. In his place was a much older version, with eyes bleeding red, and two diagonal lines running down his face. That was defiantly not Sasuke. Instantly, she knew, without a doubt, who that man was; Uchiha Itachi. He was far scarier than she could imagine. With his arms crossed and a bored expression etched onto his face, he gave off quite a menacing aura.

"Don't tell me what the fuck to do Uchiha!"

"You know, I didn't even invite you to come."

Buddha and her boss were both, cruel and sick people. Didn't they realize they just sent her into the lion's den? She swore she saw a similar scene like this in the Godfather, and that was the part where everyone died. Her fingers were trembling; she turned back around and stood flat on her back against the wooden divider. Taking in large quantities of air, she closed her eyes and tried to envision a world without bad people and diseases. She was going into her happy place, a happy place filled with medicine and yummy sweets. Not rude and annoying men who destroyed the third floor of a popular café.

If she made it out alive, she was going to strangle Phantom and bury her body somewhere far away. She stood straight up, re-adjusted her towel and walked around the corner. Surprisingly, no one stopped to notice. Except one. And that one person happened to be the guy she was most afraid of at the moment.

_Remember what Phantom wrote, only look at him in the eye when necessary. _

She felt his eyes focus solely on her, and oh, the intense pressure!

"Gentlemen!" Her voice came out rather high and shrill, not what she was aiming for, but at least it got their undivided attention.

Hidan smirked, "Finally! Damn, what the hell took you so long?"

"I apologize for my tardiness."

"Eh, don't worry 'bout it babe, so you gonna take our orders or what?"

Her left eye slightly twitched, but thanks to years of patience, she calmed herself down, "Of course, sir, what would be having this evening?"

"Steak and a side order of you please."

Failed flirting attempt number one.

"Hidan, that was _gay, _yeah." The blonde said.

"Coming from a guy who looks like a chick!"

She couldn't help it. She just _had_ to roll her eyes. Even if it wasn't ladylike or maid like, she just couldn't help but do it. While they continued to argue, she turned her attention back to the special guest of honor. His eyes were elsewhere as he chatted with his…blue skinned friend. Blue skin, yellow eyes, and tattoo gills on the side of his neck. If she didn't know any better she would have suspected the man to be a Deki butler or something. No one in their right mind would make themselves look like a human shark!

"What are you staring at pinky!" As if on cue, both Itachi and his friend turned to her.

"U-um, your orders sir?"

"Kisame," Itachi opened the velvet menu book with unhidden boredom, "You may go first, I have yet to decide what I want."

Her eyebrows furrowed. This guy had a hard shell, one made of bullet proof ice. But that wouldn't stop her! She _will_ melt it and get under his skin somehow, whether by shameless flirting or her witty intelligence, she _will_ make Mr. Uchiha Itachi enjoy his time. Plus, how hard could it be? He seemed almost exactly like his brother, and everyone already knew how much he liked her.

"Hm, I've never been to this place before. Don't know what kind of food they serve…"

"May I make a suggestion?"

"Shoot away pinky."

"Creature Feature Deki Café is widely known for its excellent international cuisines, ranging from dishes as far as Europe all the way to Indonesia. The menu is divided into seven parts, ten dishes from over twenty different countries. Our specials are in the back, indicated by the green tab. Personally, my choice would be the Shawarma, seeing as how it is our most popular order of the night."

After five minutes of contemplating, Kisame grinned, "Alright, I'll take that then. I'm holding you to your word though pinky."

She scribbled it down on her pad, "You won't be disappointed. And you, Itachi-sama?"

He shrugged, "There doesn't seem to be anything here that has captured my attention."

"Are you sure about that? All our options are quite _exotic_," He glanced up at her, "I doubt you'd be able to find something similar in any other restaurants."

"Really? So if I were to order this…Nasi Goreng, I wouldn't find this anywhere else?"

She nodded.

"How can you be sure of that?"

"I'm a Deki maid, I know everything," Kisame chuckled, "And I'm a dog," She touched her nose, "I would know if it's sold anywhere else."

"Bitch's got a point."

All eyes turned to Hidan. Uh oh, big mistake, no one calls her a 'bitch' and gets away with it. His blonde friend laying face down on the table clutching his bleeding nose, but he heard everything very clearly. He mumbled an 'idiot' and scooted a little further away from him.

"Excuse me sir? What did you just call me?"

"I said-"

But before Itachi could stop him, Sakura already beat him to it.

"Sir, this is a family café, we refrain from using such foul language and urge our guests to do the same. There are children here and we wish to keep this a friendly environment. But if you refuse to cooperate, I will be forced to escort you from the premises."

He scowled, "What the hell is a chick wearing skimpy cloths going to do? Slap me with her feather duster?"

"Hidan…" Itachi warned.

Said 'chick' was suddenly standing right in front of him with a charming smile on her face. And for some reason, it just happened to be one of the scariest things Hidan had ever seen. She leaned down until her face was hovering above his.

"I will bury you so deep underground, the Earth's core will burn your sorry butt right back into your mother's womb. Please sir, respect our rules and we will respect you."

In the back, Kisame burst out laughing as she stood back to her full height. Meanwhile, Itachi watched with mild amusement. The quick to temper Deki maid had certainly captured his attention now, but it will take more than a couple smart remarks for her to keep it. Maybe now he was beginning to understand why his younger siblings were so enraptured by her.

"So you wanted the steak right? All that leaves is Itachi-sama and your friend over here."

"I'll have the Nasi Goreng."

Nodding, she jotted it down and lightly placed a hand on the bleeding man's shoulder, "Here sir." She handed him a napkin.

"Thanks, yeah."

But as he sat back up, he felt another wave of blood rush out his nose. Face to chest and unable to say anything, Deidara could only stare with bulging sapphire eyes.

"Sir? Are you alright?"

"D-Deidara."

"Excuse me?"

"My name's Deidara, yeah."

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you Deidara, what will you be having this evening?"

"Uh…"

"Just get the kid spaghetti and meatballs. He's too young to handle any big kid meals."

"Shut up Kisame!" He turned back to Sakura, "I'll have your…fettuccini alfredo."

"Excellent choices gentlemen, I'll have your orders handed in and your drinks ready in a few."

"You work at Tokyo General, am I correct?"

She stopped moving for a second before quickly placing his order on the table. She hadn't exactly been expecting him to start the conversation. In fact, she was expecting him to stay silent the entire dinner until she was forced to say something. Her mind already had twenty different conversation starters ready just in case. Smoothing out her skirt she nodded.

"Yes, that is correct."

Curiosity ensues and she wondered how he knew that.

"My brother has been talking about you nonstop for the past couple of days," He took a sip of his water, "Not to me of course, but I over hear his conversations with my mother and his friends. He mentioned that you happen to work at the most revered hospital in the city and that you happen to be one of the top nurses."

Wow, he actually spoke like a normal human being. And not just a one word answer or a callous remark that most likely stabbed her wilting heart; but actual sentences, with commas, periods, and nouns and verbs! Forget about the fact that his brother somehow knew these private things about her, that didn't matter at the moment! She was slightly stumped for a good minute and just stared at him like a gapping fish before she realized what she was doing. Snapping back into reality, she saw that he was still looking up at her, waiting for a response.

"Actually, I'm still just an intern. I'm still going to school to become a doctor. I plan on graduating with an M.D in the next two years."

He smirked, "I am assuming you are a paid intern?"

"Yes…"

"Then what are you doing here?"

She was really reluctant to tell him about her personal issues at home, but seeing as how he wasn't pushing her to answer or being impolite, it wouldn't hurt to slip him a few details of her life.

"I just needed an extra job to…help pay for a few things."

"In debt?"

"No quit, per se…Medical school can be quite expensive."

"I see," He lifted his fork and took another bite of his food.

"Um, Itachi-sama…"

"You may call me Itachi."

Everyone looked stunned for a minute, but turned back to their meals. At least there was some progression, just a little more push and she'd be walking right through that tight barrier of his.

"…alright, Itachi, may I ask how your brother knew all of that me?"

"You're going to have to ask him about that yourself."

"I'd rather not." She mumbled.

"What was that?"

"I hope you all enjoy your meals! I will be back in a few to check up on all you."

As she turned around and pushed the cart away, she accidentally bumped into some rushing down the aisle way.

"Oh my, excuse me!"

"No problem."

"Phantom!"

Said girl grinned and lowered her clipboard, "Hey there slick, how's it going?"

"Um, I wish I could say better. Itachi's a rather hard man to crack, but I think I'll be able to soften him up before the night ends."

"Great, well I'm just going to drop off these documents at the upper deck office then I'm heading back down. I could take this cart for you."

"Oh no, I wouldn't want to burden-"

"Ah, it's alright, besides," She pushed Sakura aside with her hip, "Your job is to butter up the ice bitch over there anyways, just go over there and seduce the bastard into your panties!"

"Phantom!"

"Bye!" And like a flash of lightning, she bolted out of there, sitting on top of the cart as it rolled down the ramp, "Cowabunga!"

In all actuality, she'd rather not return to the group. Hidan was giving her weird looks; perhaps he was still angry that she told him off. And Deidara, he was cute, handsome too, but every time she went near him, he looked ready to have another nosebleed. And he already stained two of their best table cloths. Kisame was…and interesting fellow, even though he have off a very intimidating aura, he seemed like the type she could easily get along with. Then there was the Itachi. Lord of the Ice, prince of darkness, the silent master. She had no idea how she was going to deal with him. At least she was done fearing him, despite what Phantom had written, he didn't look like the type of person who'd bite ones head off simply for being there.

He spoke to her first, sort of, asking him for his order didn't count. Which meant that he held some level of respect for her. And the fact that he knew she worked at a hospital and was attending medical school all at the same time added some extra bonus points. All she simply had to do was talk to him on a semi-professional and casual level and before she knows it, he'll be walking away as a satisfied customer. And she'll be getting that extra bonus in the mail (cha-ching).

"Back so soon?" Kisame grinned.

"I couldn't stay away too long, I missed you all too much."

"I'm not surprised, I am pretty gorgeous looking if I do say so myself."

"In your fucking dreams fish face, it's obvious she's here for me."

At least she now knew Hidan didn't want to kill her. He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at her and she pretended to be flattered.

"Actually, I was hoping to get to know you all a little better, seeing as how you're all going to be frequent guests here."

"And why would we come back, yeah?"

"Why wouldn't you?" She smiled at him, his face immediately turned red, "You wouldn't want to hurt my feelings would you, Deidara?"

"U-uh…"

"So Itachi," He raised his eyes at his name, "I heard you aren't in the same business as your family."

"You heard correctly."

"Why is that?"

He shrugged, "Law and police enforcement is interesting as it is, but it has never really captured my own personal interest."

"So then, what is it that you do?"

"I work in mass media and publication."

"The Akatsuki Talent Agency," He nodded, "You produce band like DIVide and BeAt."

"Yes, our two most popular bands."

"I'm a big fan of theirs. So, do you all work together?"

"Yes, Kisame is my head producer, Deidara and Hidan both work in the art and film department."

"And what do you specifically?"

"I'm the one who says if you have talent or not."

It was enthralling actually, listening to him talk about his profession like it was second nature to him. It probably was, she had done her part of research and surprised to see how many cuts and acceptances they made. Only three out of hundreds people made it into the industry each year, and only ten perfect stayed alive long enough to make a second album. The media had dubbed Uchiha Itachi the Asian Simon Cowell, a befitting name, seeing as how he was utterly merciless to the talentless.

"You must be quite a commodity." She didn't realize how low and husky her voice just sounded. But then again, it wasn't all her fault. He was the one with the velvet voice and dashing physique. Could she be blamed for drooling just a little? No, not really.

"You may say that, but then again, aren't you as well?"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not going to lie and say you aren't a…physically attractive woman, because you are," She couldn't help but blush a little, "And you have seemed to have ensnared all of my companion's attention." To emphasize his point, he smacked a goggling Deidara right across the head.

"Hey, that bloody hurt, yeah!"

She giggled, "And what about you Itachi? Have I caught yours?"

"I am talking to you aren't I?"

"Yeah, and it's the longest talk he's _ever_ done, seriously. Normally, he'd say only one thing and that'd sum up an entire conversation all together." Kisame laughed.

"Well, I'm glad. You're a very complex individual if I do say so myself, Itachi. I've never met someone quite like you. Not that it's a bad thing, I just find you…intriguing."

It was a rather bold statement, but the more she spoke with him, the braver she got. It was as if they were the only two people in the entire upper deck, and she wondered if he felt the same.

"Likewise."

"What about me, yeah?" Deidara turned to her with hopeful eyes.

"No one gives a shit about you boy, girl, or whatever you are."

"Shut up Hidan, I wasn't asking you, yeah!"

"Kisame, your glass is empty; allow me to refill that for you!" She snatched his cup before he could get a word in and quickly walked away from the ongoing battle, heading straight to the restock area.

Standing in the safety of the dark, she let herself smile at little. Her heart was racing, even if it did that for every other person she had met since working here, somehow it felt a little different this time. It felt a bit awkward, having to flirt with both Uchiha brothers. But with Itachi, it just flowed very naturally. It was a breeze talking to him, even if it was on a somewhat professional level. At least he didn't piss her off at the start like his arrogant younger brother did. He was defiantly more mature (at least she hoped him to be).

However, that didn't mean she had some sort of infatuation with him. Though he was devilishly good looking and sinfully handsome, she knew the moment she took this job she'd be faced with people like him. She swore, the second she put on her uniform, she would never let her heart slip and fall for any of her clients. But oh…how good looking they were. Damn the male population for spewing out these mouth watering men.

But more importantly…he hadn't broken the rule and touched her! What a wonderful world we are living in where the customers finally follow the rules and she isn't groped every two seconds!

_Hm, polite, intelligent, a decent and respectful man…Phantom was wrong, he's not so bad. He hasn't even tou…_

Someone was in a restricted area. Someone was in a restricted area where only maids were allowed in. Someone was in a restricted area touching her bare back!

"Please, don't scream."

Hey…she knew that voice.

What _hell_ was he doing here?

"I-Itachi…"

"Yes."

"What are you doing here? Guests are not allowed."

"I understand that, but seeing as how this is the only way to get you alone, I had no choice but to break the rules."

Scratch everything she had said earlier! He's just as bad as everyone else! Now he's going to rape her!

_Not if I can get away first._

She slowly put Kisame's cup down and gripped the edge of the counter roughly, her knuckles turning white. His hand still hadn't left her back, in fact, it started to move painfully slow down south, until it rested on the small back. He was warm, but she was sweating bullets.

"Do I make you nervous?"

"Considering the situation, just a little."

At least her steady voice didn't reveal how shaky she was on the inside.

"Don't be, I only wanted to talk."

"Really? And you couldn't do this outside?"

"Not in front of them."

She turned around to face him and nearly gasped. It couldn't be possible…his eyes-they were red. And they held the most intense look she had ever seen. They reminded her of Sasuke, but she shouldn't be surprised, they are siblings. But perhaps because he was older, they seemed a bit more passionate. For once, just once, she wished eyes like these weren't directed at her.

_I really should have listened to Phantom. Don't look in his eyes!_

"Look at me." He cupped her chin and directed her wide, doe eyes at him.

They were hypnotizing to say the least, capturing her every sense and heightening them tenfold.

His nimble finger curved her soft jaw line, tracing her flesh and every contour with ease until it settled itself on her jugular notch.

"I've only just met you…but I can now see why you are enchanting. You have indeed bewitched me, Sakura; you're the only woman who has ever caught my eye that I didn't want to have thrown out."

"Uh…thanks?"

"But there seems to be a problem."

_Yeah, you're still __**touching**__ me._

Unfortunately, those words didn't come out. Instead, she backed up a little until she hit the cursed counter and nearly knocked over the drink. But that only gave the almighty Itachi the advantage. Towering over her by a foot and a half; she looked like a scared little puppy. It was not his intentions to scare her, but he couldn't help it. If he wanted something, he had a rather predatorily way of getting it. And right now, he wanted the girl.

"And what would that be?"

"I am quite aware that there are several _other_ men pinning for your affections as well."

"Yeah, so?"

"I'm not quite fond of competition."

"And what makes you think I'll fall for you so easily?"

There was no point in beating around the bush. If he was going to be so blunt and to the point, then so was she.

"Why wouldn't you?" He smirked.

_OH,_ so he's going to play it like that now is he?

"Hm, exactly, why would I?"

"Quite the stubborn little woman aren't we?"

"Stubborn indeed, and very hard to get. I hope you know, that if I didn't go for your brother, there is a very, very slim chance that I will go for you."

"But at least I have a chance."

He's cocky, probably more airheaded than Sasuke.

"So does everyone else," She pushed away from the counter and walked around him, "Now Itachi, if you don't mind getting your hands off of me, we should be heading back. Actually, you should go back first, if we arrive there at the same time, your friends are going to be suspecting that something is going on between us."

His voice was low and husky, dripping with unhidden arousal, "Let them suspect."

Her cheeks flared, "I have a reputation and job on the line!"

And with that said, she tugged at his sleeve and pulled him out of the restock area and into the open. He was greatly amused to say the least. She pointed her finger in the direction of the table and was actually expecting him to take her orders like some kind of dog. Well, she was sadly mistaken. He wasn't the one wearing the ears and tail; instead, he grabbed her hand. When she tried to pull it back, his grip only tightened.

"Ladies first."

She quickly brought pried her hand away and rushed back to their table, greeting the waiting guests as cheerfully as possibly, pretending what just happened-didn't happen.

"Hey pinky, where's my drink?"

"Here Kisame." He was right behind her.

"Er…thanks, why do _you_ have it?"

She blushed.

He smirked.

Damn you Uchihas.

**Fin**

Okay, it took me about six days to write this chapter, haha. I'd write three or four pages a day every other day then take a break to heal my throbbing head. But this is probably my longest chapter so far. Hope you all enjoy! Itachi was pretty difficult to write, ugh! 15 pages omg!

And no, I don't think I will do a chapter involving Kisame and Hidan, they're just…not writing individual material for me. But I will for Deidara! So expect one with him!

DIVide and BeAt are very local bands and you kind of have to be in the circle to know who they are.


	7. Chapter 7: Mitarashi Anko: serpent

**Creature Feature Deki Café**

**Mitarashi Anko: Serpent**

-

-

-

Sakura knew the moment she stepped into the building, something was very, very wrong. Sure, on the outside, everything looked pretty fine. The staff was busy preparing for breakfast and minding their own business, occasionally greeting each other and her. But if one were to really, _really_ pay attention to their surroundings, they would immediately notice that something was off.

Phantom's cloths were _matching_!

Cue awkward and overly dramatic orchestra music.

Yesterday, she was wearing the cutest orange loose tank top with a purple dinosaur on the front and neon blue shorts. Red and black Nike's and a dark green bow to top off the look. But today…oh today was just…weird. The pink haired girl had grown so used to her boss's mix-matchy wardrobe and found comfort in the oddity that she nearly had a cardiac arrest when her eyes fell upon the five foot nothing woman. Navy blue jeans, a black shirt, and Prada sunglasses sitting on her crimson head.

_What is going on?_

She stopped into the middle of the café and stared for the longest time at the girl with an unusual expression drawn onto her face. As if feeling a pair of eyes on her, said boss spun on her heels and smiled charmingly at her favorite maid. Sakura could only respond with a weak smile of her own, still utterly confused with what she was wearing. Phantom handed a clipboard over to a male employee and skipped her way towards Sakura, her black converse all-stars making squeaking noises along the way.

"Just in time pup!"

Finally realizing that her boss was standing right in front of her gapping form, she quickly shook her head and nodded rather stupidly.

"I wanted to come in a little early today, can't enough of this place!" Oh how she hoped Phantom didn't see through her poor and pathetic excuse. _'Naruto won't leave me any peace! Even in the morning!'_

"Awesome possum, I love seeing my maids enthusiastic about work!" The red head grinned, but it faltered for a second upon, "You're wondering why I'm dressed so boring aren't you?"

"Uh…well…"

"There's no need to be shy! It's alright if you ask, others already have," She chuckled, "You should have seen Daemon this morning, he didn't believe it was me for about an hour."

"So, why _are_ you dressed like this?"

She bit the inside of her cheek for a second, "Promise not to laugh when I tell you?"

"Yep."

"Well…it kind of has to do with your customer, who, might I, add will be arriving sometime during breakfast hour."

Sakura quirked an eyebrow, "I don't understand."

"Daemon's being paranoid, he's worried Mitarashi-san might try and kidnap me again, so I had to dress up like this to make sure I don't."

"Mitarashi? Is this the person I'm serving today?"

Phantom nodded, "Yep, she's a very powerful woman. Not only does she own a chain of cage fight arenas, but she's also CEO and director of Japan's UFC. Ever since her business partnership with America's UFC director Dana White, she's been rolling in the doe! It's a multi-_billion_ dollar industry, and not only that, she spends most of her money _here_."

She couldn't help but feel a little weak at the knees. This woman sounded scary-no, _frightening_. Her overactive imagination started to spew out images of a dark haired woman with yellow, sinister eyes and giant muscles bigger than her puny head. Not only that, she imagined her voice to be low and thick, full of masculinity and not at all like what a woman should sound like. Right now, she's much rather deal with Naruto's over possessiveness than cater to an Amazonian.

Oh god, this woman must have been some type of wrestler or boxer sometime in her life if she was involved in the fighting industry. Her mediocre taekwondo was no match for raw pummeling! She was a tiny little thing, barely able to even reach the edge of her cabinet! This crazy psycho banshee could probably snap her in half with just a flick of her finger.

"Hello, earth to Sakura, are you alright in there?" Phantom waved her hand in front of Sakura.

_Hm, her nails aren't painted. They were such a cute shade of pink yesterday…_

"You said…Mitarashi-san tried to…kidnap you?"

"Huh? Oh yeah!" She slapped her knee and burst out laughing, "You should have been there! Daemon's a very composed man, would never, _ever_ hit a woman; even if she is as strong as one. But that day, ah, he was sorely tempted to land one right on her. I was merely stopping by to see how our honorable guests were, because she was there with her older brother. Then suddenly, the last thing I remember was Anko flirting with me, being grabbed from behind and rushed down the stairs. She almost succeeded, if not for Bou and Daemon. Ah, well, I don't hold any grudge against her."

Uh-oh, this did not look good.

"S-so, she likes other…women?"

"Yep, we don't discriminate anyone. We are open and caring people who accept everyone, whether you're Asian or White, straight or gay." Phantom put her hand over her heart, a genuine smile on her face, "And seeing as how everyone falls in love with you instantly, you'll be winning Mitarashi-san over in a heartbeat!"

_Anko Mitarashi_…

Sakura sighed, but lifted her head up. Fire ablaze in her viridian eyes. Phantom was right, who cared if this was a woman (a very intimidating and terrifying woman), it was her job to entertain and serve whoever she was assigned to with a smile on her face and pride in herself. She too was an open-minded person who welcomed others, no matter who or what they are. She shouldn't be judging others when she herself had been judged all her life. Even if Anko was a fighter, that didn't mean she was a cruel and evil person.

_Think positive! Must think positive!_

"When will she be arriving?" Her voice was strong and proud, hiding all her tension in the back.

"I believe around nine-thirty. She usually orders her coffee first, so we'll have that prepared and ready for her when she steps through the door. She likes to sit in our indoor garden, so we'll have a table reserved for her in there, just make sure it's close to the koi pond. She's pretty fond of those fishes."

Sakura nodded and turned to leave for the dressing room, but stopped when she felt a tug on her sleeve.

"Just a little warning, try not to look her in the eye when she's...eh…flirting with you, she might misinterpret that as a sign that you are interested in her, unless you already are, then go on ahead!"

So much for burning pride in her eyes.

-----

"Oh Anko, you should really consider settling down. Normally, women of your age would already have a family by now." An older woman said.

"Please, spare me these lectures. I'm so tired of hearing them." Said woman waved her hand in the air and took out a cigarette.

"Listen to Miho, Anko. She's right and you know it. You're thirty-one, act your age; not your shoe size. And stop smoking, you'll start looking as ugly as the wrestlers you hire."

The purple haired woman glared at her older brother menacingly, but he merely scoffed at her and rubbed the side of his wife's arm. Why he put up with his younger half-sister, he did not know. Perhaps it was because she still acted like the baby of the family and he felt this uncanny need to constantly be at her side to protect her. Though she _really_ didn't need it. Considering how, back in the old days, she was a professionally cage fighter herself. But no matter what she put him or their middle brother through, they were a tight nit family.

But that still didn't mean she had to drag him and his wife to this…this…this freak show of a café! Good god, the last time he ate here, a woman whom he thought went missing six years ago suddenly popped up! And in a ridiculous peacock costume of all things! His wife may have found it amusing and had warmed up to the place, but he certainly did not. The only reason why he had even bothered to show up was because of the food, which he begrudgingly agreed was the best he had ever tasted.

"Ibiki, wipe that annoying scowl off your face. I'm paying for you, so you should at least pretend to be happy."

"Please explain to me again why you couldn't have just invited Idate instead?"

"Because, I don't need competition when I'm on the hunt." The corners of her thin lips curled into a feral grin.

"Please, leave the girls alone. If I remember correctly, you tried to steal the owner of this place."

"I couldn't help it! She was just so cute!"

Miho smiled the bickering siblings as they all stepped inside the building. As usually a maid greeted them, though this time it a bright red head with a deep resemblance to a wild tiger. Oh how she loved this place and their cute Deki-Maids. It was no wonder this place was so popular with people from every range of age. From the service to the food, everything was top notch and simply impeccable. She would never tell her dear husband, but if she were younger, she would have done just about _anything_ to be a maid! They're just too adorable to resist.

"Good morning Mitarashi-san, Morino-san. We've reserved a table for you in our Garden of Eden with a freshly brew coffee waiting."

Anko grinned, "And you ask me why I love this place."

Ibiki rolled his eyes and proceeded to follow the eccentric looking maid with his giddy wife tucked neatly at his side. As they passed by the Arabian themed area of the café, they failed to notice that the portraits of late princes and princesses hanging by on the wall also happened to be one way mirrors. And behind those mirrors was a curious looking pink haired maid with her face pressed against the glass. She had just finished tying her pink bow on the back of her black and white maid outfit when a trio of people she hadn't recognized walked by. It was hard to hear what Aiki was saying, but the second she started leading the group to the garden, she knew instantly who they were.

_That must be Mitarashi Anko…She doesn't look that scary._

True, the woman did look surprisingly normal and was strangely smaller than she had anticipated. Though, with those platform boots on, she clearly towered over her. However, she most certainly did not miss those semi-muscular arms. The woman was packing on some guns! It was comical really, what would a woman, who worked in the world of wrestlers and fighters, want anything to do with such a girly and deviant looking café?

A young cook waited for her outside the dressing room. The minute she stepped outside, he was already at her side with a red mug in his hand.

"This is for Mitarashi-san."

"Ah, yeah, thanks."

She carefully grabbed the steaming cup and proceeded to make her way towards the garden. In all honestly, she had only been there once, when Phantom was giving her a tour of the entire café. She never really had a chance to actually take a look around and admire the natural beauty that is Mother Nature. Everything in the Garden of Eden was real, from the tiny animals living in the trees, to the wild flowers that bloomed with beauty. In the center stood a giant apple tree, not that it was surprising, considering what the name of the garden was.

Pretty verdant eyes widened slightly in awe. It took all her will power to not let her jaw drop and fall over backwards. The place was an indoor paradise. And she had exclusive access to it. Somehow, her ego had shot through the roof, knowing that she could come here anytime without having to pay. Walking down the white marble steps, her eyes landed on a pair of blooming purple cosmos.

_That's it, I'm taking Ino here tomorrow for lunch._

However-

"And BOOM! Right in the kisser!"

-her pleasant thoughts were interrupted by a loud and boisterous voice. The canaries in the nearby trees shot into the air and zoomed past her. She nearly jumped out of her outfit when a thunderous growl ripped the air around her. Her confident stride soon turned into tiny bite size steps as she inced her way towards the source of her anxiety.

_Dear Kami, I don't ask for much. But today, please let me live to see my family. I don't think my parents would appreciate knowing that their only baby died during work. _

"I grabbed him by the neck and flung him over my shoulder like he was a bag of flour!"

"Calm down Anko, you're scaring the maids."

Sakura peeked over a vibrant green bush with yellow flowers growing out of it and sighed in relief. At least two other girls were there with her. Gin the lemur and Bii the...bee. She never really had a chance to talk to them, but she had heard from Bou and Riona that they were the oldest ones working at the café. Both nearly in their forties! And yet they hardly looked a day over twenty-five. What is up with that?

"Anyways, as I was saying-"

"Here is your coffee, Mitarashi-san!"

She forced her voice to be happy and cheerful and thankfully it came out that way. There was a moment of silence before the other maids bowed and left her alone to with those people by herself. Her eyes narrowed slightly, unsure if she did anything wrong and was about to place the cup down when she was suddenly tackled. A soft 'oomph' escaped her rosy lips as she was lifted into the air by a pair of very, very strong arms. Coffee cup totally forgotten as it fell and smashed on the ground.

"E-eh?!"

"Aren't you the _cutest_ thing I have ever seen!"

"Anko, put the girl down…"

_Can'tbreathecan'tbreathecan'tbreathe_

"She has puppy dog ears!"

Miho stood up, "Um, I do believe she is turning blue now…"

"P-please…l-let me go…"

Ibiki shook his head, "You aren't allowed to touch the girls, remember? Rules are rules, follow them."

"Oh right!" Quickly, Anko let go and backed away, "Sorry 'bout that!"

Unfortunately, Sakura didn't quite land on her feet. Instead, she fell ungracefully and landed on her rump. Biting her lip to keep from groaning out in pain, she got up in staggering legs and tried to bow as charmingly as possible.

"It is quite alright ma'am."

The purple haired woman grinned and plopped back in her seat.

"What's your name?"

"H-Haruno Sakura."

"What a lovely name." Miho sighed dreamingly.

"Yes, as beautiful as its owner." Anko added.

A slight rusty blush appeared across her nose as she took out a heart shaped pad and a green fuzzy pen. She will _not_ let this woman take advantage of her! She's almost as bad as her male guests. Naruto and his wondering hands, Sasuke and his arrogance…If only she could smash their heads in, then life would be much simpler and she wouldn't have to watch her back every three seconds.

"Have you all decided on what you would like to order?"

"Eggs Benedict."

"International breakfast with a wide of French toast, please."

"Hm…what do _you_ think, Sakura-chan?"

"Uh, well…"She pursued her lips and started nibbling on the end of the pen. She hadn't exactly eaten breakfast at the café before, but she could recall which were the most popular and which ones were costumer favorites, "Well, the British omelets and Swedish crepes are a house favorite. There's also the…the…uh…"

Something was slithering up her leg. Something big and cold was making its way towards her thigh and sending hard shivers down her spine. At first, she assumed it was a snake, since she saw a couple of boa's around. But as soon as her eyes dropped down to the invading object, her theory went out the door. Immediately, her blood began to sizzle and boil.

_A hand!?!_

That sneaky…she wasn't even looking at her! She was too busy chatting away with that man and his wife to actually see how this was all affecting her! In all her life, she'd only been touched like this by a woman once. And that was because that woman was drunk and had thought Sakura was a pretty, pretty pink haired man. It wasn't hard to tell that that left a very deep scar on her poor mentality.

But before her slippery little hand could get any higher, she took one giant step towards the brown haired woman and smiled sweetly.

"Miho-san is it? I love the color of your hair; it is a beautiful shade of mahogany."

"Oh my," The woman blushed profusely, a shade darker than Sakura's, "T-thank you!"

"Well, seeing as how everyone has already made their orders, I'll be-"

"Wait."

Sakura turned on her heels and eyed the purple haired female cautiously. She wasn't grinning madly anymore, nor were her hands wondering. Instead, her eyes were focused back on the fancy menu with a curious look on her face. Secretly, she actually thought the woman did look quite pretty, when she wasn't sneaking hands under her skirt or looking like some kind of hungry animal.

"I haven't made my order yet."

"A-ah, yes, my apologies Mitarashi-san."

"Please, just call me Anko."

"Of course. What will your order be?"

"Well, I can obviously see that the café has done some renovations and added a few new things to the menu. Now I'm torn between choosing my regular order or picking something new."

Ibiki rolled his eyes_._

"If I may make a suggestion,"

"You may,"

"It's always nice to try something new, you know, like expanding your horizon. There are many flavors in life, but you'll never know what they taste like if you just keep picking the same things. Sometimes, it's good to take chances and break away from the norm. Even if it doesn't work out, at least you can say you tried."

She kind of felt like hitting herself. Since when was she the all mighty philosopher? Perhaps it was because she understood the need of wanting regularity, but also the desire to break free and be something else. With that always sunshine filled smile plastered on her face, she waited for Anko's answer. It was half a minute of pure silence, minus the chirping of the birds and slight rustle of the leaves before she burst in a fit of raging giggles.

"Smart and cute, hard to find nowadays. I like you, Sakura, and I think I've made my decision."

_Let me guess, scrambled eggs and a side order of me?_

"I'll try the…Greek God special, buttermilk pancakes."

Scribbling it all down, she bowed politely and started heading for the entrance when an unexpected visitor arrived. A beautiful blue and black viper hung low from a thin tree branch right in front of her face. Its forked tongue flickered back and force as its yellow-green eyes glared into hers. For a moment, she was afraid the reptile would strike at her, but it slowly moved from its spot of the tree and made its way onto her shoulder. Goosebumps formed on her arms as its frigid scales rubbed against her bare shoulders.

_Great, I attracte people _and _animals._

"Hey, that's a Royal Leaf Viper; they're the country's most poisonous snake!"

Just her luck.

And even better, it was slithering down her bodice, right in between her boobs. Not to mention the fact that the snake was really, _really_ cold and really, _really_ deadly. She squeaked as its tongue flicked out once against as it tasted her skin. Apparently, it liked her so much it continued doing so until she was forced to squeal like a helpless child and jumping up and down. The snake must have been male, yep, most _defiantly_ male. It just wouldn't stop, the lower it got, the more freaked out she became.

And a freaked out Sakura was not a good Sakura.

"S-some h-h-h-help me!"

Thankfully, someone did.

Assuming it was Anko who was unclipped her black corset bodice, since she closed her eyes from the sheer terror that is a poisonous snake, she felt her hand run _ever_ so slowly down her chest and rest upon her abdomen. There was a tiny struggle as the snake refused to move and only tightened its hold around her neck and shoulders. But finally, after a brief minute, the weight of the snake was lifted off of her.

She let out a sigh of relief and moved her hands back to start retying the corset.

"Thanks Anko."

"Anko?"

Wait…

…

…

That did _not_ sound like her.

"He puts his hand down her dress and you yell at me for hugging her?!"

Upon opening her eyes, she instantly regretted crawling out of bed that morning.

"What the _hell_ Sasuke?!"

-----

Viridian eyes moved slowly from her left to her right. Unbelievable, it was completely unbelievable. Not only was she playing referee to two hard-headed and arrogant _adults_, but she also had to work the rest of the day knowing she was just molested by a snake.

Let's get ready to rumble!

On one corner, we have the ever stubborn, ever spoiled prince to the Uchiha Empire. Weighing in at one hundred and eighty pounds…Uchiha Sasuke! This six-foot-one male not only lives and breathes power, but he has enough testosterone to boot! Just listen to the crowd! They're going wild! Well actually…it's the fangirls gone wild! Run, run for your lives!

At the other end, we have the one and only _Queen Cobra_. This five-foot-five female may be small enough to fit into anyone's pocket, but if you underestimate this former pro cage wrestler, you'll surely be waking up in the hospital with enough broken bones to last you a life time!

"Uh…here are your orders. Sasuke, yours will be coming out soon."

Carefully, she placed each plate to its rightful person and slowly backed away. The tension was so tick, even a butter knife could cut through it. However, Miho, the lovely and dear wife of Morino Ibiki, was completely oblivious and continued to blab on and on about how nice it was to have the chief of police's son joining them for breakfast.

There were glares sent here and there. With closer inspection, she could clearly see that even Sasuke's eyes turned red.

_Wow, must run in the family._

He sat at the other side of the round table, elbows planted firmly on the top as he leaned against his intertwined hands. It seemed as though he had no other choice, he was just going to have to skip to plan D. When no one is looking, he'll grab Sakura and make a dash for the exit. Sweet and simple, he'll have the lovely pink haired maid all to himself. However, the only thing standing in his way just happened to be glaring right back at him with a ferocity that outmatched his.

The woman was strong and unbendable; he had to give her that. But even if she did own a wrestling empire and could probably knock a few of his pearly white teeth out, he was still an Uchiha. And Uchiha's never give up. She may be the Queen Cobra, but he was the King! Yes, just _King_. Plain and simple, but to the point. Sasuke was never one to be flashy.

His thoughts were interrupted when he felt something light and feathery touch his shoulder. His eyes reluctantly left Anko's but lightened up once they reached Sakura's face. So close, she was so, so close. Only a few more inches and he could close the gap and claim those rosy lips his. But the serpent queen wasn't having any of that and '_accidently_' kicked his shin. He grunted, but kept his composure.

"Sasuke, are you okay?"

"Yeah, fine."

"So are you going to answer my question or what?"

"What was the question?"

Sakura growled, sounding an awful like an actual dog, and felt a pulse throbbing in her head. She had to remain calm, even if the costume was a complete perverted moron, you must never harm them.

"What are you doing here and _why_ did you grope me in front of everyone?"

"Yes, Uchiha, please explain to all of us why you…_shoved your dirty hand down her dress!_" Anko all but hissed out.

She flinched, just a little. She'd hate to have this crazed woman as an enemy.

But the proud and bullheaded Uchiha boy merely smirked and continued to stare at his prize.

"If you must know, I came here to pay a surprise visit. I haven't seen you in a while, so I wanted to see how you were."

Crossing her arms, she rolled her eyes, "Oh please, it's only been a couple days."

"Felt like an eternity to me."

"Hey, don't get all cheesy and sappy on me. Now answer the second part of my question!"

He opened his mouth to respond, but she quickly cut him off.

"And if you mention anything perverted, I will _break_ you."

The corners of his lips curled as he eyed her predatorily. She was so amusing to tick off; he would probably never tire of fooling around with her. Her anger was his fuel and the more murderous she looked, the hotter she was.

"We're waiting." Anko spat out.

_Should I break his neck or leg first? Probably the leg, I want to watch his squirm with pain._

"Well, you did have a snake in your dress, and being the kind gentlemen that I am-"

((_snort_))

"-I had to save you from it. Plus, if I didn't, it might have bitten you. And seeing as how Royal Leaf Vipers are very lethal, that could pose a problem in our courtship."

"I guess you're right, but-wait…what?"

"Uchiha…"

"Come one Miho, I think we're done here." Ibiki immediately stood up and grabbed his dotting wife.

"But I haven't even gotten to taste my crepes yet."

"I'll go get you a box!" But before she could make a dash for the garden's entrance, an arm snaked its way around her petite waist.

"Not so fast Sakura," Anko grinned, she stuck her tongue out at Sasuke, "I want you to be here to see the fall of the so called '_great' _Uchiha Sasuke."

"Please, this all really isn't necessary-"

"Oh, but it is _Sakura_, it is! By the end of today, the winner will be declared!"

"A-actually, today, the garden is closed off for the weekly watering."

"Fine, by the end of breakfast our, _I_ will be the winner and will rightly claim you as mine!"

Sasuke could help but roll his eyes and scoff at her childish antics, "Honestly woman, just because you _eat_ men for breakfast, doesn't mean you have to _act_ like one."

((_Growl_))

Several chairs and the table were pushed as side as a miniature Mexican standoff ensued within the compounds of the café's indoor garden.

"Please everyone, let's just calm down-" But her words fell on deaf ears as she was pushed aside and landed in Anko's seat. Her eyes widened as the beastly woman cracked her knuckles and got into a fighting stance.

"W-wait! What are you doing?!"

"I'm gonna drop kick his ass into next year, that's what."

"But…do you have to do it _here_?"

This place was beautiful, it was no wonder the garden just happen to be the most booked area of the café. It took months, sometimes maybe a whole year to dine here. And that was only on certain days at certain hours. It was cherished and loved by all, especially her other boss, Ghost. It would be _such _a disappointment to know that this magnificent garden would be destroyed over something as lousy as her-wait…

…over something as lousy as her _affections_. Yes, that's right. But in all case, it would still be her fault. Since this fight was about _her _and their odd obsession over _her. _And she'd be damned if she lost her perfect job just because some bastardly heir and a retired wrestler ruined the café's most precious terrace. To hell with this!

Just as she got up, Sasuke crouched into a defensive position, waiting for the serpent queen to strike.

Nostrils flared and cheeks glowing a bright red, Sakura marched right past Anko and stood in between them. Much to her annoyance, neither really seemed to notice her presence there. In fact, she wouldn't be surprised if they both charged right at each other and still fail to see her. With her hands on her hips, she let out a frustrated sigh. In times like these, it is always important to keep calm and not lose your temper. Something she practiced every day since going to medical school.

"Listen you two, I don't care if you beat each other to a pulp, however, I _do_ care about what's going to happen to this garden once it starts! This is ridiculous, you both are adults! Hey, don't give me that look Sasuke; you know I'm speaking the truth. And Anko, I was expecting better behavior from a woman such as your caliber!"

At this, said woman's face reddened just a little bit. She'd never really gotten this worked up over anyone, especially someone she had just met. But she couldn't help it! Sakura was too cute to be left alone and she loved competition! If there was any chance for her to smash her gigantic fist into that snot nose Uchiha brat, hell, she was going to take it!

"But Sakura-!"

"No Buts!"

"Sakura, I must insist-"

"Be quite!"

She walked over to the fallen table and picked it up before moving over to the chairs and fixing them in place. The plates were broken and pieces of them scattered everywhere. Food lay splattered on the floor, smearing the pristine marble and tainting the dirt.

"Look at this! You two made a mess! I can't believe it, and here I thought we were all going to have a nice breakfast together."

Anko lowered her eyes while Sasuke looked away, though it was really hard to tell if he cared or not. Inwardly she smirked and cheered victoriously. Her guilt trip was working. Now all she had to do was feign the 'kicked puppy' look and it was hook, line, and sinker. Plus, it helped knowing that she was also wearing puppy ears and tail.

"Are you both _trying_ to get me fired?"

"No, of course not!"

"Then how could you even think about fighting in a place like this? The garden is a place for peace and tranquility, to eat and chat with friends in a humble atmosphere."

The raven haired boy stole at glance her way, but quickly averted it when she looked up at him.

"Well Sasuke? Do you have anything to say?"

"Hn."

"Unbelievable," She mumbled, "Anko?"

But the woman wasn't paying attention; her eyes were focused on the ground. Hands balled up into fists were shaking at her side as she let out a haggard sigh.

_Uh-oh, maybe that was a bit _too_ much guilt._

"Anko?" Sakura placed the tray on the table and slowly walked over the purple haired woman, "Hey there, are you alright?" She tried to make her voice as soothing and calming as possible.

"You're absolutely right!" Suddenly, she pounced on the petite maid and hugged her tightly. It took all over Sasuke's self control to not rush over there and pry the serpent lady's hands off of _his_ Sakura.

Meanwhile, Sakura was once again praying to whatever listening deity that she be released for some well deserved air.

"What was I _thinking_?! Picking a fight _here_ of all places? It's much too girly and way too flowery for me! I need my cage! I need my wrestling area! There, that's where I'll take down this Uchiha punk and take you away from all the bad things in the world!" She dropped Sakura, who once again, landed on her sour little rump.

Digging into her pocket, she took out a red and black business card with her company and wrestling area address writing on it. Tossing it at Sakura, her attention turned back to a rather seething looking Sasuke.

"And you, I'll be seeing you later. Eight o'clock, tomorrow night. The Terminator's area. All caged. Be there or be square."

And with a light peck to Sakura's head, Anko grabbed her trench coat and strutted past the two and out the door. Bou, the charmingly oblivious girl, bid farewell to the lunatic and kindly asked her to come again.

Glancing over her shoulder, she shyly peered over at Sasuke.

"You aren't really-"

"You'll be sitting front row right?"

Oh, what?! This kid must be joking! Did he want to lose the chance of ever having children?

"I don't think you should-"

"Great, I'll see you there. My limo will come pick you up."

"If you care about your life-wait. How do you know where I live?!"

He smirked and shoved his hands into his pockets before he too made his way to the exit.

"Doesn't matter. See you later."

She could only gap at him like a fish for his sheer arrogance. The card in her hand crumbled into a little ball clenched her fists. Damn him, he just had to make her life a little bit more complicated didn't he? There was a bit of fear brewing in the pit of her stomach, she had a feeling that this wasn't the last time she'll hear from Anko.

Standing up on shaky legs, she made her way to the table and carried the tray back to the kitchen.

((_Hissssssssssss_))

Uh-oh…the snake…is going up her leg.

"H-help."

-

-

-

**Fin**

Well, sorry it took so long for me to update, haha. Ya know Christmas and the New Year. It was all so hectic.

That and I also went to TWO Lady Gaga concerts! I died and came back to life. OMG I love her!

I wanted to try something new, haha, trail away from the typical male for a little bit. The next chapter will most likely be another female. Though, I'll have to decide which female I want to use.

*cries* I think I might want a Beta. Even if I re-read to check for mistakes, I still find plenty. I want some assistance *sniff*

**Does anyone watch UFC? Dude….I am so addicted to it!! I love ultimate fighter!**

I want to thank my lovely reviewers for inspiring me to write just a little more!


	8. Chapter 8: Sabaku Gaara: sable

**Creature Feature Deki Café**

**Sabaku no Gaara: sable**

"As you know, the café is an international corporation. We work globally, taking our company where ever we go. You can say it's a traveling business; we aren't rooted to one spot. However, that doesn't mean we don't make a profit. In fact, we double our revenue in every new country or city we visit. Word of our café spreads like wild fire, and since we only ever stay less than a year, more people come in as often as they."

Phantom gently folded her hands on her lap and smiled coyly at the redheaded man sitting across from her. The woman had a way with words, but he was a seasoned business man, and he knew that evil glint in her eyes. She was hiding something, but it was going to be difficult to find out what it was. Next to her was Daemon, the ever sophisticated looking man. Her husband was just as sneaky, maybe even more so. He hadn't uttered a single word the entire meeting, just sat there and watched with calculating eyes.

"Miss Shiko-"

"You can call me Phantom."

Another weird factor, besides the odd way she dressed, was her name. What sensible parent would name their child 'Phantom?' Her Cheshire smile never failed to creep him out, she looked like a grinning shark. He was almost a little reluctant to even show up to this meeting, after reading her profile, he didn't know whether to laugh or stay the hell away.

"Phantom, I'm sure this café of yours is quite grand and lavish, but I'm still not entirely convinced that it will do so well in the American market. I understand that you are a global corporation, but America's business system works entirely different from any other country. How do you expect to entire that game and hope gain any profit?"

"We have our ways," She leaned in closer, "Trust me when I say this, investing in Creature Feature will be one of the smartest contributions you'll ever make. If you aren't entirely convinced, why don't you drop by for a visit and see how the café works?"

He was afraid she might ask that. The last thing he wanted was to swing by a place that looked more like an Otaku's wet dream than an actual money making enterprise. He'd seen pictures, heard the gossip, even watched the news; definitely not his taste. Kankuro was wild about the cafe, he wouldn't shut up about it. He was constantly babbling on and on about how beautiful the women were and how delicious the food was. Temari was no different either; she practically fell head over heels for every butler there, a bunch of male disgraces if you asked him.

Then again, maybe it would be a smart move on his part. The company did make a hefty profit.

He'd seen their stock market shares, their points were unbelievable. Many of the market firms he worked with had in fact invested with them. So why was he holding back? Well, it was quite obvious really. The black market rumors. On a night out of town, he heard from a couple of drunk CEO's that the women working in the café were either sold or kidnapped. He sure as hell wasn't going to make a deal with criminals. But then again, it was just a rumor, and most rumors turned out to be false. It was probably just a smear campaign, set up by other jealous and greedy businesses. He wouldn't be surprised, things like that were common.

"I'm not so sure that would be wise."

"I must insist, the café is a wonderful place, and people who go there for the first time end up coming back again and again. I assure you, we're very hospitable and welcoming people."

Damn, this woman was persistent. Why was she so keen on having him give her his money?

He was pretty sure they were well off with all the sponsorships and contributors that constantly stalk the place. In fact, he was almost certain they didn't even need any other company's help. They made enough in a month to start up two more cafes in the same city. From what he heard, the café had been around for more than twenty years. However, this was the first time he'd ever heard of them. It seemed as though no matter where they went, it was as if all memories of the place were wiped out once they left one location to another. Either way, they don't investors or people buying their stock. Things were just becoming more and more suspicious.

"Sabaku-san, If I may interrupt for a moment,"

Gaara turned the Daemon, "You may."

"Would it perhaps be something you heard something on the street that causes your uncertainty?"

Crap, he probably knew what he was thinking about. Not like it mattered though, as he thought earlier, it was just a rumor. Between the two of them, he knew there was no way out of this. They got him right where they wanted him, those sneaky bastards. That woman knew how to manipulate people and twist words around, now he could see why she was called Phantom; a silent, but deadly entity. Hell bent on getting her way. And her husband was no different! The overly-gelled prick, he waited until the perfect moment to strike.

Why, of all things he could have done, did he choose to be an entrepreneur?

"Fine, I will make a quick stop tomorrow afternoon."

Phantom's eyes began to shine, "Oh really? You'll love it! The atmosphere is very homey, you'll fit right in! Our maids and butlers are extremely polite and value costumer service to the fullest!"

Maids dressed as animals, rooms with audacious themes, and horny business men who get kicks from looking up the women's skirts; oh yes, he'll fit right in alright. Gaara wasn't a drinker, but he could have used a really big bottle of vodka right about now.

"So, do we have a deal?" Phantom smiled and extended her tiny hand out at him.

Did he have a choice? With a silent sigh, he signed the papers and slowly reached for her hand. She felt like ice and smelt like toffee, was he working with a thirteen year old girl or a twenty year old woman? He couldn't decide if this was a smart or really stupid decision on his part.

"Thanks for your time and cooperation Sabaku-san; we'll reserve a special area for you tomorrow. Please come during midday, we'll be waiting."

That sounded strange, but Gaara shook away the feeling and nodded. The two bowed, grabbed their belongings, and left the room. It was suddenly even chillier than it was before, and deathly quiet. He looked down at his copy of signed documents and sighed heavily. He rested his head on top of his hands and closed his eyes, imagining a world where he didn't have to deal with freaks like them ever again. His suspicions were still there, and it was going to take a lot more than a simple visit to settle them down.

* * *

"I could see it in his eyes."

The crimson haired woman looked down at her multi-colored nails before pressing the lobby button in the elevator, "So could I."

"Do you think he knows?"

A chuckle escaped her lips, "Humans are fickle creatures, they'll believe anything we tell them. All we have to do is convince him they're just ordinary women working at the café and it'll all be over. We just have to cater to his every needs and his worries will be a thing of the past."

"What did Ghost say?"

"I haven't heard from her…"

Daemon took out a pocket watch and opened the gold cover, "She's being released from the hospital soon. I hope she doesn't crash herself into a building again."

"Next time she decides to try and kill herself, I think we should help make sure she succeeds."

"You know we can't let her do that, she'll just come back to life. The more powerful she gets; the weaker we become."

She turned her eyes to her husband, "What is your plan?"

"I think we're going to need Sakura for this."

* * *

Amongst the crowd of men in suits and women in floral dresses, a pink blob of hair stood in the center of it all. With a bagel in hand and French vanilla in the other, she patiently waited for the light to turn red before crossing the street. As her wandered off into some distant land, she hardly notices the looming figure standing right behind her. The mysterious figure smirked inwardly and coughed to gain her attention.

"Huh?" She turned to the side and nearly dropped her food in surprise, "Uchiha-san?"

"Please Sakura, I thought we were passed formality."

"Sorry," She slowly turned around and took a bite out of her bagel.

"Rather chilly today, isn't it?"

"I. . . suppose?"

He let out a low chuckle, "Are you nervous?"

"No, why would I be?"

"You're shaking."

She stole a quick glance at her hand holding the drink and noticed that it was in fact slightly shaking, "It's…cold?"

"There is no need to be so flustered around me, I won't try and kidnap you like my foolish little brother."

Her cheeks turned bright red and she quickly cleared her throat, seriously wanting to change the subject. Just as the sign to walk lit up, she felt his large hand gently place itself on the small of her back. She quickly stopped walking and looked up at him with large doe eyes. He almost chuckled at her innocent expression; he knew there was a good reason why he woke up so early that morning.

"I'm only walking you to work, nothing else."

She took several deep breathes and tried not to make anymore eye contact with the elder Uchiha.

This family was filled with a bunch of egotistical men, the last thing she wanted to do was fuel that fire. They honestly expected her to instantly fall into their arms and have them whisk her away? In their dreams! She wasn't blind, she knew why Itachi was here, and if he tried anything funny, she'd round house kick him in the face. But then again . . . it was rather pleasant to have someone care enough to walk her to work. Actually, it was nice just to have someone walk with her at all.

"I heard your boss was branching out to other companies, including those overseas."

Sakura turned her head and looked at him with curious eyes, "Really? I thought she and her husband preferred to not to mingle with other businesses."

"Yes, that is true. But from what I know, they are looking for more than just simple sponsorships. There are rumors of Shiko-sama and her husband attending different meetings with the many CEO's interested in forming a partnership, especially those in the Western hemisphere."

She pursed her lips in concentration; it wasn't as if she actually cared about what Phantom and Daemon did with their company, since it was theirs after all. Just as long as she still had a job at the end of the day, she was perfectly content with whatever decision they made. But it certainly did have a nice ring to it, Creature Feature Deki Café: an international sensation. What if they had a grand opening in New York? Or Los Angeles, Paris? How exciting, maybe they'd even ask her to work abroad; she'd be paid to travel! They've probably been to those cities before, but what if they were to stay there permanently? It would definitely be nice to live in a different environment.

There was excitement in her eyes and the corners of her lips curved upward. Itachi didn't miss this as they made their way to the other side of the sidewalk; he was entirely amused by her inner thinking. Her thoughts were clearly written all over her face. He'd never seen anything so precious before, even if she was a Deki maid. He couldn't wait to find out more about her.

"But Itachi," She saw him lift an eyebrow, eager to answer her question, "The café's already been traveling around the world, why would they want to join with other companies now?"

"I am not exactly sure, as I said earlier, they could all rumors. None of it might even be true. But if I were to make a guess, it could be that the reason why they want to form these partnerships is because they plan on becoming an international corporation. With a café in every country on every continent of the world, their profits would not only multiple by the hundreds, but they will also be the dominant force in the business world. This would mean that they have total control over the entire economy."

Her eyes widen, "That almost sounds like a global domination."

"Precisely."

Suddenly, she wasn't feeling too good about this idea. Phantom and Daemon taking over the world? What an absurd thought! Although, it didn't sound all that crazy, knowing how powerful her bosses were, the image of a Creature Feature infested world didn't seem like just a rumor anymore. In fact, she could clearly picture in her head, in the not too distant future, a bright pink or green café on every street of every major city around the globe. Just thinking about it made her a little queasy. There was only so much tea and frilly skirts she could take. Not to mention those creepy maids, with their creepy eyes, and their creepy goody-two shoes behavior. 'Yes master,' 'of course master,' 'anything you say master.' Okay, so they weren't that bad and they were in fact very adorable, almost to the point of nausea.

However, she just couldn't help but pick up a weird vibe from them at one point or another. But there was only so much she could say, considering how she was one herself. And it wouldn't do for her to speak ill of her fellow co-workers, even if they did look like some of the women in those missing ads…

Poor Sakura, she hadn't even realized she was standing right in front of the café for the past five minutes, musing in her own little world with an endearing expression on her face. Itachi watched with amusement as the features of her face changed from wonder, to excitement, horror, and curiosity. Oh yes, he was defiantly intrigued with her. It was a shame though, she just had also captured the attention of his foolish little brother. Uchihas were known for being stubborn and unyielding; especially when it came to things they wanted. Surprisingly, he was more than ready to fight for the pink haired girl, even if it meant defeating Sasuke.

"Sakura,"

"Yes?"

"We're here."

"Oh!" A small blush swept across the bridge of her nose as she realized her surroundings, "Well…thanks for the walk…" Her eyes widened as the tall, dark, brooding man leaned down until his lips brushed her ear.

"I will be seeing you around."

And just as she opened her mouth to say something back, he quickly turned around and walked the other way, leaving a very puzzled Sakura to gawk at his back. He was an enigma, dark and mysterious. So unlike his brother, who was too brash and straightforward. Shaking her head at his audacity she walked into the café and headed straight to the locker rooms. Blindly unaware of a pair of dark, magenta eyes following her every moment.

* * *

A new costume was waiting for her as she entered the locker room. With just one look, her face grew extremely hot at how revealing and sexy it was. The belly dancer outfit was sky blue, adorned with jewels, and hardly covered anything. As she put on the see through harem pants, she was well aware that it showed off way more leg than necessary. The slits started at the top of the pants and reached the ankles of her feet. The top was a coined bra, with tiny sapphire decorating the edges. Her midriff was completely exposed to the world. She tucked the veil behind her and over her elbows, completing the look. If only her mother saw her now, she'd definitely be proud of her.

_Just smile and get on with my life._

As she put on her high heels, the door burst open and an angry breeze blew against her. Chills swept across her uncovered body. She hissed violently and crossed her arms across her chest.

"Oh Sakura!" A very cherry voiced called out for her. Immediately, she knew who it was and bowed politely.

"Good morning Phantom."

The crimson haired woman waved enthusiastically and bounced her way up to Sakura. Amazingly, her vanilla ice cream cone didn't fall at all. Today, she was wearing a bright pink off the shoulder shirt with the batman logo on it, a pair of jean shorts decorated with little green dinosaurs, and silver Nike shoes with wings extending from the side. She took one long lick of her ice cream and handed Sakura a beige envelope. Sakura looked at it with a confused expression, and took it with caution.

"I'm giving you an early pay since we're going to be busy the next two weeks, I'll have one of the butler's give you the rest of the check at the end of your shift. I also added a bonus for your hard work."

"T-thank you, um…"

"You have work at the hospital today right? You can leave after two."

Just as her boss spun around and skipped to the door, she quickly blurted out, "May I ask what it is you'll be doing?"

There was a moment of silence before a wide smile broke out on Phantom's face, "Just some boring business stuff, nothing for you're pretty little head to worry about. Ciao." And with a wave, the mysterious red head was gone.

* * *

"Hey Bou, who's the guy in the suit?"

As soon as Sakura had exited the back room, she was quickly shoved aside as a few body guards and men in black made their way up to the VIP lounge. Her mouth hung open in astounded and she narrowed her eyes at the group. The red haired man spared her a condescending look before turning away. She wasn't able to get a good look at him, but from what she could see, he was a very handsome man. She would have said something, but figured she'd probably end up losing her bonus for she yelling at the guests. Quickly forgetting about her boss's odd behavior, she made her way to the head maid.

Bou quirked an eyebrow at the angry tone, "That is Sabaku Gaara, head of Tokyo's biomedical research facility."

That name sounded very family. She was sure she heard it somewhere, but she couldn't place a finger on it. Oh well, probably nothing important anyways.

"What is the head of a biomedical research doing here? I wouldn't have guessed this was his type of thing."

"Sabaku-sama's medical center provides all the employees and our master and mistress with free health care. He is our most prized and honored contributor. The master and mistress are in the process of forming a partnership with his company, that way, wherever the café goes, we will always be provided with emergency medical care. He is here today as a valued guest."

"I see, Phantom and Daemon are just trying to butter him up so that he won't have any reason to decline, right?"

Bou didn't answer, she only smiled and handed her a silver plater and a set of menus. Sakura took it with a roll of the eye and begrudgingly made her way to the top. Even if they did give her free health benefits, that didn't mean they could push her around like that! Grumbling to herself, she gave a friendly nod to her fellow maids and a courtesy to some of the costumers.

The VIP lounge these guests were in was in the desert room. The theme was similar to that of an Arabic palace. Silk curtains and scented candles decorated the extravagant area. The satin pillows were piled on on top of each other until they formed little hills. In the background, a sitar played a hypnotizing song that only one would hear dark of an oasis. The environment was rather pleasant and almost sent her back into a dream like state, where there were no plans for global domination and only pretty, pretty girls in bellydancing outfits. The lounge was closed off from the world by a velvet curtain, but on occasionally someone would emerge as they headed for the bathroom.

She could hear voices coming from inside and booming laughter. Twelve in the afternoon and they were already drunk, now that is a record for the books. She walked up the steps and gently rang the hanging bell before stepping back down for the curtains to open. Slowly, the laughing died and as it was pulled back, all eyes turned to the girl with the pink hair.

She bowed politely, "Good afternoon masters, my name is Haruno Sakura and I will be your maid for today."

One man with dark brown hair smirked, "Well looky here boys, we caught ourselves a pretty little thing."

_Oh boy._

Another, with blonde hair, lifted up a cigar to his mouth, "Come closer sugar, we don't bite."

_Sugar? Oh hell no, this fool better be joking._

As she made her way back up the stairs, her eyes immediately landed on the figure in the back. His bright, red hair blended into the crimson colored curtains and hid his face behind folded hands. While he melded into the back, his eyes stood out amongst the dark shades of the room. Bright, jade eyes glared at her with an unfathomable hatred that nearly took her breath away. Though beautiful as they were, they were shrouded with a deep anger she didn't know existed. And it was all directed towards her. Now, why did they look so familiar?

A pinch to her thigh brought her back attention back to the normal world.

"I'm sorry sir, but you are not allowed to touch the maids."

"Bah, those stupid rules. We're VIP! We can do whatever we want!" The sickly looking man cackled.

"I understand, but standard protocol dictates that you keep all hands and limbs to yourself. Other wise you will have to deal with the consequences the owners of this café will condemn you with."

"Oh, she's a feisty one! I like 'em when they bite!"

Just as the man stood up and made a grab for her, a threatening and most terrifying voice stopped him.

"Madae, sit down."

The shiver that convulsed through out her body was not an unpleasant one, surprisingly. Her mind was going out of control, his whispered command sent a pleasurable wave coursing through her veins. She really needed to get control over herself.

"I-I apologize, Gaara-sama." The man sat back down,his head hanging low.

Closing her eyes and letting out a steady breath, she passed around the main menus and grabbed the notepad.

"Can I get you started on any drinks?"

"I'll have warm sake please."

"Make mine chilled."

"I want warm."

"Same here."

"Orange juice."

All eyes lifted to the man sitting on Gaara's right. He merely shrugged.

"Hey, I'm driving you all."

"Kankuro, you pussy."

"Hey shut up!"

Sakura rolled her eyes and waited for the guest of honor to say his order, but none came.

"Can I get you anything, master?"

When the word left her lips, she instantly regretted it. It just sounded so . . . dirty. She visibly flinched and her cheeks reddened. She shifted her gaze, unable to look at the man with daggers for eyes. He merely narrowed his glare and continued to mentally judge her.

_Great, I bet he's thinking up ways to kill me or something._

"I'll just get you a glass of water then."

"I want coke."

Her eyes widened a little before returning back to normal. She smiled daintily and jotted it down.

"Your drinks will arrive shortly, please take your time browsing our menu."

A few minutes later, she arrived with a silver plater in hand and drinks in tow. With the grace of a seasoned maid, she quickly dispersed their orders to each person. Gaara didn't make a move to touch his drink, he just stared at it as if it were plagued with some unknown disease. Sakura bit the inside of her cheek to keep from crying out and smacking the man across the head. As handsome as he may be, he was starting to get on her nerves. And the constant glaring wasn't helping either.

The brown haired man from earlier lifted his drink into the air, "I'd like to propose a toast."

"To what occasion?"

"Well obviously because all of Tokyo medical groups merging into one giant corporation."

Sakura titled her head to the side, why hadn't she heard of this before?

"Are the masters ready to order?"

The man lifted up a had to silence her, "Not now, I'm in the middle of a grand speech."

She placed her hands on her hips as a vein pulsed on her head, no one silenced the great Haruno Sakura!

"Don't get too carried away Takeru, no one agreed to anything."

"_Yet. _You don't know the benefits this could have on all of us, the amount of money we'll have!"

"I can always come back later-"

"No, no I want you to hear this, maid. You are about to witness history in the making!"

She let out a groan and stood with her arms crossed. This was obviously going to take longer than she had hoped. Her mind drifted into another realm and began to go over her schedule for today's work at the hospital. First, they were going to release Ghost. Ah, Ghost, her most . . . _special _of patients. Hopefully that girl will learn to take better care of herself. Second, discard all expired medicines and restock with new arrivals. The list went on and on, and she kept this up while drowning out Takeru's voice. Unbeknownst to her, she was being watched.

While she might remember who he was, he certainly remembered who she was. It was a cold day in the middle of October. He and a couple other associates were making their annual check up on all the hospitals they owned. They wanted to make sure everything was up to par and nothing out of place. He only wanted to best doctors and nurses working at his hospitals, second rate just wouldn't do. As he made his way through the cancer ward, he saw a flash of bright pink in the children's facility. And that was when he saw her, _Tokyo's little angel._That was what they called her. The apple of Tsunade's eye and pride of Tokyo General.

He had heard a lot about her. She was a paid intern who recently graduated from an ivy league university. She had previously studied in England too. He was impressed, to say the lease. Not blown away, but definitely grateful she had chosen to work for his hospital. He never got a chance to learn her name and hadn't seen her since that day, all those months ago. And now, here she was, dressed up as a common Arabian whore and taking orders from a bunch of greedy business men. His respect for her dropped just a little.

"What do you say Gaara?"

His attention was snapped back to Takeru and his loud voice.

"What?"

"I said, we should take this opportunity to celebrate the merging of our companies! When Tokyo General, Tsuchiyama, and China-Japan Friendship become one, we'll all be an unbeatable force in the market world. No one will be able to stop us from taking over all the other hospitals through out the country."

Sakura was slightly a taken back. If they did that, then the small towns that were provided with free medical care from the smaller and less equipped hospitals would have to pay for all their expenses themselves. Not even their insurance would be able to cover all the costs. To think, the young and old having to suffer through endless nights of pain and agony, and all because these tycoons wanted more money! She could not stand for this, not when there was a chance for her to do something about it.

"You can't do that."

Her voice broke through their boisterous laugher and talk of taking over.

"What did you say?"

She threw the notepad down, scaring a few of the men.

"I said, you can't do that."

The sickly man sneered at her, "And why is that?"

"Because if you do, you'll be taking away all the medical needs of innocent people. And not just from the villages and towns either. Even people in the city will have to pay more just to get a simple check up! You're taxing the sick and stealing money away from those who need it the most! Have you no shame?"

They were all completely flabbergasted. Here was a girl, no – a _maid_ with glowing green eyes and bubblegum hair, with a fury hell hath none. To say Gaara was stunned was an understatement, he was completely shocked. Though on the outside he was composed and relaxed, his insides were roaring. Something about the way she threw herself into the lion's den just . . . turned him on. Now that was strange. He wasn't even aware he could be turned on.

She continued her little tirade and screaming until a hand was clasped around her mouth. A blonde man, who was more than two heads taller, stood behind her. He held both her hands behind her back as the other one kept her mouth shut. He and the other men let out a breath a relief and started chuckling.

"Silly little maid, what the hell do you know about business eh? And why do you even care about what happens to these people?"

Her eyes narrowed dangerously and suddenly the blonde man was throw across the room with a ferocity that nearly scared the living hell out of these people.

"SHARANNO!"

The sickly man tried to make a grab at her, but she caught his wrist and tossed him like a rag doll.

"FOLLOW THE RULES! NO TOUCHING!"

Finally, she turned her eyes back to Takeru, who was cowering underneath the velvet curtains.

She had a mad glint in her eyes and though she was solely focused on the quivering man at her feet, she didn't miss the way Gaara's lips curled into a menacing curl. Her anger deflated in an instant and instead, she just became extremely agitated.

"What the hell are smiling at? You should be just as ashamed."

"And why is that?"

"Because you're letting the bad guys win!" All rules of conduct aside, she jumped onto the table and pointed a mell manicured finger at him, "I remember you now, I didn't at first, but the second that guy mentioned Tokyo General, I knew I recognized your face from somewhere."

"Oh, and where would that be?"

"You're the owner of Tokyo General. Sabaku Gaara, you also run the biomedical research facility. I've seen your face from time to time whenever you come for your annual check ups. You and your higher ups disgust me. All this time, when we were low on staff and supply, you just sat back and let people like _Takeru _make all of your decisions. Do you realize how many people go in and out of that hospital in a _day? _NO YOU DON'T. Because while you sit behind a giant ballroom seized office, people like me and Shizune are working our asses of trying to save lives! And I don't even work there! I'm on a paid internship that probably gets me enough money to buy food for one week at a time, and I work every single day! Do you know how hard that is? Nope! Because you get money for free while I bleed for it!"

If he was any other person, he would probably burst out laughing at some point. She was so passionate and brave with her words, he was captivated. He'd never had this much fun on a lunch before, perhaps he should start coming to Creature Feature more often, if only to see this little spitfire again. He could see the fire burning within her eyes and wanted to capture this moment forever. Yes, it was indeed a good idea to form a partnership with this company.

In all actuality, he wasn't planning on forming any deal with Takeru or his greedy goons. He wasn't an idiot and felt rather insulted that the fool actually thought he'd agree to the ridiculous plan. A heartless wretch he may be, but he did care about the people staying in his hospital. He only came for the free food. It was his suggestion to come here, only because of that Phantom woman's insistence, and the brown haired bastard agreed whole heartedly, even offering to pay for everything. If he had known Sakura would be working here and entertaining him in the most exotic way, he would have been a frequent costumer a long time ago. Which was why Kankuro had tagged along, he really just wanted to see the girls.

"And another thing, your plan of taking over the smaller hospitals in the countryside; not going to happen, ever. Those people deserve the free medical attention more than you need the money! How can you even call yourself a part of the medical field if you - !"

He grabbed her calfs and pulled her into his lap. His infuriating smirking making her blush like wildfire. Their proximity was doing funny things to her insides, but at this moment she couldn't care any less. She was still pissed off at the man and tried desperately to not get lost in his jade eyes, which a terribly difficult task when he was looking at her like she was the most _beautiful _woman in the world.

"I'll tell you right now, if you merge with those companies, I am quitting my internship and applying somewhere else." She poked his chest to emphasize her point.

"And where exactly will you do if we do merge? We do own half the hospitals here in Tokyo."

She growled, "I'll . . . I'll sign a petition! I'll start a rally, I'll do something, mark my words Sabaku Gaara you will feel my wrath if you do anything to hurt these people."

"I don't think you're in an position to be making such idle threats."

Sakura immediately stopped her ranting at the innuendo. His words went both ways and the bastard new it. She gulped and leaned back against the table, only to have him follow and tip forward. He was still smirking and she had the raging urge to wipe it off his face. His arms crossed and rested on top of her stomach as he regarded her with a cool passion. She knew this battle was over the second she fell right into his lap. But damn it, she never went down without a fight!

"I'd like to make a proposition for you, Miss Haruno."

She visibly tensed under his watch and he enjoyed every second of it. He was going to tell her he did plan on declining the offer, but she just had to go and put a show on for everyone to see. Kankuro watched with wonder and amazement as the two engaged themselves in a staring show down. Neither of them had budged and waited for the other to make the first move. Thankfully, Gaara did.

"If you have dinner with me tonight, I might consider your offer of stopping this merge and even give you a full time job at the hospital."

Her jaw dropped, what a sneaky little snake.

"Rule number fifty two, maids are not allowed to date any costumers or guests unless the maid has resigned her position at the café."

He scoffed at her attempt to rebuff him.

"Forget about the rules, be a rebel. You've already broken plenty by _attacking _the guests, am I right?"

Damn, he cornered her.

"My boss won't allow it. And I'll just tell her it was for self-defense."

She tried to get up and leave, but the red-heard held her down. His arms wrapped around her thin frame and pulled her even closer to his body. He smelt like test tubes and tupperware, and _oh lord_ how delicious it was. She pushed roughly against his shoulders and tried to wiggle herself loose, unaware that her actions were causing a bit of a male reaction from him.

"Stop doing that."

She ceased moving for a whole two seconds before going at it again, but this time with more vigor.

"Let me go! I will never go out with a corrupt business man!"

Eventually, he did let her go, only so that she didn't feel the raging hard on she gave him. Thankfully his black suit hid it well under the dim light. She rolled over the table and landed on her behind. Quickly, she got up and dusted herself. She stuck her nose in the air and growled at Takeru, who was still huddled beneath the curtain. Spinning on her heels, she marched all the way to the entrance arch.

"This won't be the last you hear of me!" She all but spat at him and disappeared into the hallway.

Chuckling darkly, Gaara rose him his seat and grabbed his coat, "I hope not." He then made his way to the exit and followed the girl into the hallway.

In the back, Kankuro set down his menu, "But. . . what about my order?"

* * *

**Sup y'all, it's been a year, haha. Sorry for the wait, I've been busy with school and all that shiz. Me and my boyfriend got into the same school though! Yaaaay. Anyways, I threw a little panty and stocking in there, did you catch it? Holy crap, 13 pages man. **

**So, i'll try to update as much as possible since it's summer time! Wheehee!**

**If you see any mistakes, please _kindly _tell me where the are and I will gladly fix it. If any grammar nazi gets all up in my grill, I will make things worse. **

**Who do you guys want to see next?**

**Let me know, **

**love ya! **


	9. Chapter 9: Hyuga Neji: blanc

**Creature Feature Deki Café**

**Hyuga Neji: blanc**

"Sakura!" A brown-haired nurse ran down the narrow hallways with blinding speed. She nearly crashed into a doctor as she turned a corner, but quickly flung her body aside and continued towards her destination. Her stethoscope flailed around like mad as she climbed up the stairs.

She stopped dead in her tracts and fell flat on her face just as the woman she was looking for walked out of a patient's room with a clipboard in hand. Sakura jumped back in surprise, but quickly recovered and rushed over to help her fellow colleague. The nurse heaved air into her raging lungs and latched onto Sakura's shoulders.

"You have...to come...downstairs!" She panted with great desperation.

"Why, what happened? Is everything alright?"

"No it's not alright!" She shook the woman rather violently, "It's that damn 35B patient! She's throwing the fit of the century and nearly stabbed another nurse with a scalpel!"

Sakura looked into the bulging eyes of Misaki and knew in that instant who she was talking about. She closed her eyes and opened them slowly, irritation clearly written all over her face. The hospital clearly did not pay her enough to deal with all this. She wasn't even an employee for crying out loud! With a determined look, she helped the poor girl onto her feet and handed her the clipboard.

"This is Ryuta's, he needs to take his medication and have this sugar intake checked. I will deal with all this, you go on with your duties."

Misaki almost sang with joy, but knew that was inappropriate so she instead threw herself into Sakura's arms and hugged her greatly.

"Thank you! Thank you so much!"

She couldn't help but smile and patted the nurse on the head, beckoning her on her way. After informing the rest of the crew members that she was off to see the 'white-haired demoness,' as the others like to call her, and received plentiful wishes of good luck and many more sympathy nods. They all knew of aware of the odd relationship between the intern and the patient, but what they could not understand was how the only person who could placate the troubled child was Sakura herself. She did nothing but speak kind words and bring her small treats, something she had done for others, but it had never reached a level of obsession – until now.

Grabbing a couple shots of morphine, she stuffed them into her breast pocket and made sure they were hidden safely. Ghost was harmless most of the time, except when she threw a tantrum, but one could never know if something were to go wrong so she wanted to be prepared just in case. As she headed down the stairs and rounded the corners, she noticed more and more apprehensive looks on the nurses' faces.

Even before she reached the door, sounds of clashing and heavy objects being thrown around had reached her ears. A sigh of indignation escaped her rosy lips and she closed her hand around the doorknob.

The loud noises stopped once she stepped inside and in the middle of the sea of chaos and broken chairs stood a long figure covered from head to toe in toilet paper. The petit girl, wearing a black hoodie and silver scarf that covered the lower portion of her face, moved her arms up and down in a flapping motion, and stared into space with a hidden look in her eyes. Sakura immediately knew she was in a bad mood and slowly made her way to the girl, avoiding all the broken glass and shattered pieces of wood.

"I really hope your insurance covers all of this."

"Caw, caw."

This girl was nightmare, a living, breathing headache that sought to frustrate the living hell out of every doctor, nurse, and intern alive. She moved aside the fallen cabinet and tried to make a grab at her, but the cunning little thing jumped away and skipped to the other side of the room.

"Ghost, I am warning you now; we can do this the easy way or my way."

"Moo..."

"Will you stop that?"

"Oink."

She all but lunged at the girl and wrapped her arms around her body. The tiny child struggled and hissed wildly as she was carried to the bed with ease and strapped down until she couldn't move. Her body lifted itself off the bed, trying to free herself but to no avail. Sakura really wanted to pity the poor kid, but her growing aggravation prevented her from doing so. It had been going on for dayss now, Ghost's attitude and personality had for some reason taken a dramatic shift and now she was nothing more but a unruly brat. Ah yes, she remembered the good old days when the white-haired girl was nothing but a sweet, quite child. What the hell happened?

"So tell me, Ghost, why did you destroy a perfectly good hospital room?"

Sakura placed her hands on her waist, giving the girl a stern look.

Ghost stopped moving and spared a glance at the woman. They were both silent for a few minutes, neither wanting to speak and waiting for the other to go first. Suddenly, out of no where, she started chuckling. An angry tick mark pulsated on Sakura's head and it took every ounce in her to not smack some sense into the girl.

"They were trying to take my hood down and look at my face; no one looks at my face."

She knew Ghost liked to keep herself concealed, for whatever reason Ghost had an unusual fear of her identity being revealed. At first they had all assumed it was because she was rather shy of having people see her face after the accident, but as time went by it started a rather darker turn. She would claw, bite, and even harm anyone who tried to remove her clothing. Sakura was no exception, and the light scar on her right arm was proof of that. However, this was a hospital, and all hospitals had protocol; no one was above these rules.

"Ghost, I am sorry but I really don't care. What you've done," Sakura motioned with her hands to the mess behind her, "was way out of line."

"Bark."

"I'm serious!"

Even if it couldn't be seen, the girl pouted and crossed her arms over her chest. "Why are you being so mean?"

"Because for the past several days, you have been acting up young lady and no one here appreciates your attitude."

"You're starting to sound like my mother; I hate my mother."

Sakura's eye widened slightly, but they quickly narrowed, "Well I'm sorry you feel that way, but we have rules in institutions and in order to fit into these norms, you have to follow them."

With slow movements, Ghost proceeded to take the toilet paper off of her piece by piece. "Rules mean nothing to me."

"That may be, but you were assigned under my name and what I say goes." Sakura walked over to the dangling telephone and speed dialed a number, "Hana, I need another kit, the one in here was destroyed." She hung up and walked to the door, "When I come back, I expect to see your face."

Ghost mimicked her words with a nasally voice and gave her the cold shoulder. As she closed the door and headed for the supply department, she could vaguely hear something hitting the mirror and shattering it.

Sakura pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head. She wasn't sure how much longer she could put up with this. Her heart was breaking, because although she made a commitment to never abandon someone who needed her, there was just so much a single person could take. It was elementary school, middle school, and high school all over again. Her weakness was trying it break through and the last thing she wanted was to ask for help and become a burden again.

She stopped at the corner of the hallway and took a long, deep breath. What was she thinking? She was Haruno Sakura goddamn it, the daughter of Tokyo's most predominant councilmen and newspaper editor. All her life, she had wanted to prove her worth and be something other than the rich man's kid, and here she was, an intern in one of the finest hospitals in all of Japan and in the process of having a mental breakdown all because of one unhappy brat?

Her ancestors must have been rolling in their graves, Harunos never quit! She had a backbone made of titanium steel and damn it, she was so much more better than this. There was no way in hell she was going to go home crying and all because of one little girl. If she had to play wicked witch then so be it, no one was going to take her down. Her hands curled into shaking fists and fell back to her side, then she continued on towards the supply department.

Hana looked up from her magazine as she sensed a new presence arriving.

"Ah, Haruno - "

"Gimme a thermometer!"

"Wha-"

"And a Sphygmomanometer!"

"O-okay. . ."

"Just give me everything! I've got a brat who needs a lesson in manners!"

There was no room for silly chit-chat or nonsensical time-wasting. Sakura drummed her fingers on the counter and glared at the woman to mover faster. After the nurse quickly shoved everything into a plastic briefcase and handed it to her, she raced back to the room.

When she had returned, everything was awfully quite. Ghost was no longer on the bed, but light was shining through the tiny slit from the bathroom door, indicating where she was. Whispered mumbling could be heard, but not understood, it clearly wasn't any language Sakura knew of. Carefully, she maneuvered her way around the rubble and gently opened the door.

She was sitting on the edge of the tub, her back turned towards Sakura. The hood was down and the scarfed bunched up around her neck. Ghost's hair shone like a florescent beckon, blinding anyone who looked at it for too long. Under the dim glow of the flickering light blub, she looked rather inhuman – and combined with her hushed speaking, it sort of remind Sakura of those scary asian horror films where the first girl always dies.

Sakura did not want to be that girl.

"Uh. . . Ghost?"

"Look what you made me do."

She flicked the light switch on and off, but the light remained the same. At this point her nerves were starting to get the better of her, and though she had a duty to attend to, she would most certainly to stick around the girl was going to make groaning noises and come after her.

"U-um, I think we should head back where there is better light - "

Slowly, Ghost began to turn her body around. Sakura's heart beat against her rib cage so loudly she was sure people in the next city could hear her. Her body suddenly felt very hot and the dire need to escape was escalating. Her fingers began to shake, the hairs on the back of her next stood on end as Ghost finally faced her.

What she saw next nearly forced a shrill scream out of her.

Sakura had seen many burn victims before, she used to work with children of such situations and was never once uncomfortable with them at all. She adored children and her heart went out to anyone affected by such terrible circumstances. However, being one of the top five students at her university, she knew right at this very moment that whatever she was looking at was no accident.

They were self inflicted wounds.

Up until the middle of her nose everything was normal. Her eyes may have been a rather strange color, but nothing to be concerned – or frightened about – however, everything passed was a nightmare. The bottom of her nose was so thinned out it hardly looked like it was there. Her lips were gone and so she bared her mangled, pointy teeth at Sakura like a hound of out hell. The skin around her face was so badly charred and the color of bleeding red, the flesh pulsated with every breath Ghost took.

"What . . ." She spoke without thought, all thinking was lost to the scene laid out before her.

"lufituaeb I ma?"

At that moment, the lights had went out and Sakura was suddenly dead to the world.

* * *

"How do you like your tea master?"

"Is there anything else I can get you master?"

"I'm sorry master, but you are not allowed to touch my butt."

The silver haired man smiled lazily and stroked her thigh with his long, slender finger. Every now and then he'd _accidentally _brush her heated core with a gentle caress and marveled in her heated moan. The aroma of oak and rice whine overwhelmed her and gave her a high his fingers couldn't.

"You're responding quit well Sakura."

"_Master . . ._"

"Yes my dear, who is your master?"

"Ms. Haruno."

Suddenly his voice wasn't so kind anymore. His petting had stopped and his eyes suddenly became hard.

"Master?"

"Ms. Haruno, please wake up."

One by one, the tables started to disappear and the man before her had vanished. Now, instead of wearing her uniform, she was completely naked as a newborn babe.

"Ms. Haruno!"

"W-wha?"

She blinked her eyes open and swatted away the hand hovering above her face. She shielded her eyes from the bright light and slowly got up, feeling slightly dizzy from the movement. Someone handed her a cup of water and she gratefully took it, drinking everything down to the last drop. She set the cup down and looked at her surroundings.

This wasn't a patient's room, it wasn't even her boss's room. She had no idea where the hell this place was, but from the luxurious furniture to the certificates and degrees hanging on the wall she could tell she was in the presence of someone who held high power. Her eyes roamed the room eagerly and looked everywhere except where front desk was.

The glass wall gave her a magnificent view of all of Tokyo, she could even see the hospital from here, and a sudden surge of envy flowed through her veins. Someday, she was going to have a nice office like this, but everything was going to be pink and frilly. At that her gazing stop and the sudden realization that she spent way too much time at the café. She covered her face with her hands and groaned. Hell, she even had an erotic dream about one of her costumers!

A rough cough at the front interrupted her thoughts.

Immediately she gasped and quickly removed her hands and finally noticed the other figure sitting in the overly stuffed leather chair, behind the oak desk. The first thing she noticed about him were his eyes, his pale, pale eyes like almost looked like snow. She was completely and utterly captivated by them. The man's face remained blank and impassive, he showed absolutely no sympathy for her predicament at the current moment. Aside from the scowl, he had on a pair of dark rimmed glasses and wearing a black suit that looked sinfully gorgeous on him. His long, flowing hair was tied into a pony-tail and throw carelessly around his shoulder.

"Now that you're awake," Sakura bit into her fist, was that really his voice?

He took out a clipboard and readjusted his glasses, "Haruno Sakura, age twenty, intern at Tokyo Medical, and a student at the University," He flipped through more pages, "It also says you are a maid at the Creature Feature Deki Café." The look he gave her spoke volumes.

She merely bit her lip and shrugged.

"Do you know where you are, Ms. Haruno?"

"Not in the least."

"This is a psychiatric office and I am the head psychologist."

Her eyes bugged out, "What? I'm not crazy! What am I doing here?"

He held up a hand to silence her and immediately she closed her mouth, "Relax, we know you aren't. You're in here because you fainted while on duty with a dangerous patient."

"I-I fainted?"

"Don't you remember?"

To be honest, her head was a little fuzzy and things were slightly blurry. In fact, the raging headache she had was not helping in the least. But she wanted to remember and she wanted to know why she was here when she should be at the hospital. She grabbed the cup and poured herself another drink from the cooler. Slowly, she finished her cup all the while looking outside longingly.

"The last thing I remember was being very irritated at something."

The man rested his head on his palm, "And why was that?"

"I don't really know, something pissed me off so much I left in a storm."

He scribbled notes down but nodded his head for he to continue.

"I was heading toward the supply department and I actually yelled at Hana . . . I should probably apologize to her. Anyways, after I got the supplies I headed back to the room and then everything went black."

"And why is that?"

Sakura threw her hands in the hand, "How should I know? You're the doctor, you tell me!"

"Surely you must have seen or done something to cause such a traumatic reaction, no one just faints in the middle of the day without reason."

"Well sorry, my head hurts and I feel really clammy right now. I mean just look at me! My hands are still shaking and my skin's covered in sweat!"

The doctor gave her an expected look and it took everything in her to not squirm. She felt like he was analyzing her like she would to her own patients, at least now she understood why they were so uncomfortable. If he was going to declare her insane and lock her up in the looney bin, he had another thing coming. She leaned in slightly and read the name etched into the golden plate.

"Doctor Hyuga Neji is it?"

He nodded.

"Look, I don't know what's going on or why I fainted, but I really have a lot to do today and I have to get my rounds checked before heading to work - "

"You were found bleeding on the floor."

She jerked her head up. Eyes wide with shock, her mouth opened and closed like a gaping fish.

_I-I . . . what?_

Her stomach churned violently and she felt nauseous all over again. The cup slipped from her hand and landed with a cushioned thud on the floor. Water seeped into the carpet and darkened the floor. She breathed in heavily and gripped her head almost painfully. Her eyes sunk into the back of her skull as she tried to fathom this revolting information.

Sensing her panic state, the Neji immediately rushed to her side and firmly gripped her shoulders. He slid her up the sofa and tried to keep her steadfast and calm. Looking deeply into her eyes, he instructed her to take deep and steady breaths. She looked about ready to have a total mental breakdown and the last thing he wanted was Tsunade wringing his neck for causing a premature death of her best intern.

"Sakura, what I'm about to tell you may trigger some memories from your subconscious level. We need to know what happened in that room or Ghost will be taking permanent residence in a mental facility."

At the sound of Ghost's name she involuntarily flinched. Neji took note of that before coming to her side and sitting next to her. He rubbed her arms soothingly as she leaned back against the cushion. She looked so completely and utterly lost that it actually touched a cord in Neji's heart. He grabbed a pillow and placed it under her head.

"You were found on the floor bleeding from your mouth, nose and ears. A was sent nurse looking for you when you failed to show up for the briefing. They said Ghost was hovering over you and threw a fit when they forcefully removed her from the room. You've been unconscious for about two hours."

She gave Neji and odd look, "But that doesn't make any sense, why would they do that to Ghost?"

"Shizune said something about her face - "

A shrill cry came from the other side and Sakura turned to the noise. The closet door opened and out came a badly disfigures being wrapped in a black cloak. It's skin on it's hands were peeled so far back the muscles and flesh underneath could easily be seen. It's fingernails dangled at the tip and some even feel out as it crawled towards her. It gave a deep and guttural growl as it lifted it's head. And then it smiled.

She screamed.

Sakura tore herself out of Neji's arms and slammed her back against the glass wall. She cried hysterically and pointed towards the closet. Her glossy eyes were wide with horror and the blood curdling screaming that shook the very room never stopped. Neji jumped from his seat and tried to get a grip on her, but she was shaking fiercely.

"There! It's there, look at it!"

He looked towards where she was pointing and saw nothing, just empty space save for the potted plants and the closed closet door.

"Sakura, what is it? What do you see?" He had to raise his voice in order for her to hear.

"It's face, oh god look at it's face! She's burnt! She can't be human!"

He grabbed her arms and pinned them above her head and pushed his body against hers, anything to calm her down. But she continued to thrash as if her life depended on it. Her screaming got louder and though he should have been worried someone might hear, the only thing he cared about at this moment was trying to calm her down.

"Sakura, look at me!"

"No, no she's coming for me! Let me go, I need to get out of here!"

That thing was getting closer now, it was only a few feet away. The noises it made could haunt her dreams, the cracking and twisting of bones and the low, guttural noises of a dying child echoed across the shrinking room. Her body told her to run, to make a mad dash for the door and leave this place forever, but someone was holding her down and not letting her go.

"Sakura!"

His voice brought her back to reality and suddenly the crawling mess of flesh was no longer there. She fell to her knees, breathing harshly as she clutched desperately onto Neji's arms. She buried her face into his chest and tried to still her chattering teeth. He was so, so warm. She felt safe here in his arms and never wanted to leave. In his arms she felt protected.

Her entire body was covered in sweat, the scrubs she was wearing was completely filthy and smelt like rotten meat. But neither Neji nor Sakura cared at that moment.

Her head lifted and she scanned the room with hurried eyes, "Where am I?"

"You're in my psychiatric office remember?"

"O-oh right, right. My god, what was that thing?"

Neji gently brushed aside strands of hair from her sticky face, "Sakura, what exactly did you see?"

Her eyes were wide as saucers as she looked at her, "Something horribly wrong."

He nodded and helped her to her feet, guiding her to the couch, "Can you describe it to me?"

She glanced at him quickly before averting her eyes to the closet, "I think . . . I think it was Ghost."

His eyes narrowed, "I don't understand, you saw Ghost?"

Her chest heaved as she tried to catch a breath,"I remember now, I remember why I fainted. After I came back with the supplies, she was sitting in the bathroom with her hood down and scarf off. She turned to look at me and . . . it was the most horrible thing I've ever seen, and I'm a medic, I've seen some terrible stuff! But she was missing skin and lips. Her eyes were so scary, they looked me like I was meat or something. I was so afraid, but I just couldn't move, I felt trapped." She finally turned to him and grabbed his hand, "You don't think I'm crazy do you? I'm being totally serious right now!"

He placed the hand she wasn't grabbing on her shoulder and smiled, "Sakura, I believe you. When you were found, some of your blood was on Ghost. They have her in custody right now, she isn't coming near you anytime soon."

Sakura let out a sigh of relief, "But, they aren't going to do anything to her right? I mean, even if she did hurt me I doubt it was on purpose. If she has a mental problem, she should get help. I don't want them doing anything to her."

Her worry for her patient, despite everything that had happened, made him smile a little more. She took notice of this and quickly looked away. The man looked way too beautiful for his own good and it was doing funny things to her insides.

"Sakura, do you plan on holding my hand the whole day?"

"Huh?" Looking down and realized she was still squeezing him and snatched her hand back, "Sorry! I'm normally not this touchy-feely, or dramatic. I didn't even know I was capable of screaming that loud."

"It's alright, I've been doing this for a while now. You get used to everything in the end."

She ran a hand through her hair, "Why did they take me here instead of keeping me at the hospital?"

"Shizune wanted to keep you over there, but . . ."

"But?"

Neji took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes, "Through the persistent whining of one Hatake Kakashi, you were taken here instead. He took you here himself despite the other staff member's protest."

She turned her head so quickly she caught a bad case of whiplash, "Kakashi? He was at the hospital?"

"Yes, he said he had an physical with you that day and refused to reschedule his appointment with anyone else. When he heard you had fainted, he nearly kidnapped you just to take you here."

"Wait, wait, wait!" She leaped from her seat and gave him an incredulous look, "I had an appointment with Kakashi?"

Neji shrugged, "How should I know? I don't manage your schedule."

"I don't get it why would he - "

Just then the door burst open with a loud bang as it slammed to the wall. Both occupants turned to the source of commotion. Kakashi stood slouched and nonchalant in the middle of the doorway with an expressionless look on his face, or at least the part that wasn't hidden by his scarf. Neji rolled his eyes and went to grab himself a glass of brandy, already feeling the headache forming.

However, Kakashi hadn't even noticed his colleague was even in the room as his eye was soley concentrated on Sakura.

"Yo."

"You, what the hell are you doing here?" She pointed an accusing finger at him.

"Well hello to you too, I see you're up and running."

Sakura marched right up to the man and started jabbing her finger into his chest as she screeched in hi face. "What's this I hear about an appointment I've never written down, or you bringing me here without my consent!"

"What, don't a get a thank you? A hug at least? You know I did carry you all the way up here."

So that was why she could smell some of this scent on her. Her lips were set in a very firm line, and he had to remind himself and that all the trouble her went through was worth it. His eye creased in a happy manner as he gently guided her to the couch.

"I haven't seen you in a while and missed you dearly. I stopped by the hospital this morning, but they told me you were very busy, so I wrote my name down on your check list."

She cocked an eyebrow, "You can't just do that, we have very tight schedules, no one can just claim a nurse."

He played with curl of pink hair and continued to smile at her like he knew something she didn't. "I can be a very persuasive man."

"If you wanted to see me so much you could have just gone to the cafe."

"I tried! But you were always so busy, and we work on different schedules. I'm busy writing books, you're busy serving tea and saving lives."

Neji snorted into his drink before emptying it in one gulp.

Kakashi looked over at him lazily, but anyone who knew the man as well as Neji was aware that was a look of warning. And anyone who was on the receiving end would do wisely and shut up. But this was Hyuga Neji and the only thing he was afraid of was growing grey hair. And so he poured himself another drink and continued to stare out the window.

"Anyways, why didn't you just leave me at the hospital?" Sakura curled her lips inward and placed her hands on her hips.

She looked rather adorable and Kakashi wanted nothing more than to scoop her up in his arms and kiss away all her troubles, but he knew she'd probably pulverize him if he even so much as made a move. His arm casually draped itself over her shoulders as she waited for his excuse.

"Well to be honest, I didn't think it was that safe of a place to begin with. When they tried removing you from the room, that child nearly clawed a security guard's eye out to get to you. Everyone was afraid she would try to break out from custody to get to you."

Sakura could feel an uncomfortable churning in her stomach as she tried digesting this new information. Her life was in danger, she didn't even know if she wanted to go outside anymore.

"Did they get a look at her face?"

"No, it was already covered by the time they reached you."

She shivered slightly and Kakashi tightened his arm around her.

"But why was I bleeding?"

"That we do not know, Ghost won't say and as far as Shizune could tell you weren't harmed in any way."

She shifted a little, "So what, I just suddenly started bleeding out of nowhere?"

"Pretty much."

Looking down on her ruined scrubs, she saw blotches and huge stains of blood and sweat. However, what really caught her attention were the tiny finger prints scattered here and there, some were even on her arms. She hadn't looked in a mirror since waking up, but could already imagine how disgusting she looked. If she went to work like this someone was going to call the cops and accuse her of mass murder.

"I need to go home and change."

"Why?"

She huffed, "Um, hello! Look at me, I look I just walked out of a slaughter house!"

"I don't know, I still think you look rather pretty."

She rolled her eyes and was about to make a crude retort when she noticed how close Kakashi had gotten. She tried moving back, but he wouldn't allow that and kept her in place with his arm.

"Kakashi, that is sexual harrassment. I suggest you remove yourself from her right now."

The silver-haired man turned to his partner and glared, "Aw, do I detect a hint of jealousy?"

"This woman was discovered bloodied up in a hospital room, nearly had a mental breakdown, and just found out a mentally disturbed child is after her and you have the audacity to hit on her. Sometimes I wonder why you haven't been thrown in jail yet."

"Hey!" Sakura shouted, interrupting their little spat, "How the hell do you two know each other?"

"The publishing department is on the lower level of this building. We share the same meeting office every now and then. Plus I've known the kid since he was in high school."

"I am hardly a child." Neji mumbled. He took another swing of his drink and walked over to the pair. He carelessly threw Kakashi's arm off of her and gently lifted Sakura to her feet.

"I will prescribe you some medication for your nerves and get you a new set of clothing, if you still intend to go to work I suggest you stop by your house first so get cleaned up."

Sakura nodded and followed him as he walked towards the door. Kakashi, not one to be ignored or left behind, was immediately at Sakura's side, much to Neji's aggravation. They passed by several conference rooms where groups of men and women were having their usual meetings. Each and every one of them stopped as they watched their head psychiatrist lead a bloodied girl and slouching man down the hall. It was a rather odd sight, but no one said anything and pretended they had seen nothing.

They walked into the men's locker room where Neji grabbed an extra pair of working clothes from the supply closet. He handed them off to Sakura and instructed her to get changed and wash her face.

"You're not going anywhere, Kakashi." He grabbed the older man's collar, preventing him from following the girl into the stalls.

After a few minutes she reemerged looking less flustered for dirty than before. The clothing were a little too big, so the shirt slid off her shoulder most of the time. Kakashi wanted to desperately run his hands all over her skin, was it really as soft as it looked? But alas, he was being held down like a dog as Neji kept a tight leash on him. He grumbled something about writing him as a character in his next book and immediately killing him off.

"Are you all set?"

Sakura smiled, "Yep."

"Then let's get the medication and I'll take you to your home."

"What?" Kakashi cried scandleously.

"O-oh, there's no need Neji, I can take a bus, I wouldn't want you to go out of your way for me!" She blushed wildly, shaking her head back and forth.

"It's no big deal, I'm worried for your safety. If something were to happen to you and I'm not there, it would kill me. "

She felt giddy inside, like a child with a schoolyard crush. His eyes never left hers and it took everything she had not to melt into his arms. His sincerity made her blush even more, she never met a man so kind of generous has Neji before. It was completely foolish of her to be feeling this way, because she just met him, but when he smiled . . . she was dead.

"Is that really necessary?" Kakashi swatted his younger colleague's hand away and straightened out his jacket.

Neji rolled his eyes, "If you haven't noticed, Sakura is still covered in blood; I highly doubt she won't go unnoticed in the general public."

"But why are _you_ taking her home?"

Both gave the man a deadpanned look.

"Such little faith."

* * *

"Of course they would make me wait in the car."

Kakashi watched as Neji walk Sakura to her apartment and mumbled more self-pitying words to himself.

When they reached her door, Neji turned his head to the car and smirked when he made eye contact.

_That smug little bastard._

"Well, here we are."

"Are you sure you still want to go to work? I'm sure your boss will understand if you miss a day."

She waved her hands, "No way, I need that paycheck! Plus I'm fine, really. I'm a tough girl! And I've got this too," She patted her pocket with the medication inside, "So you see, I'm perfectly fine."

Neji didn't look too convinced. Her earlier panic attack put them both on edge and the last thing he wanted was to not be at her side if she ever suffered another one. Somehow, the pink-haired woman managed to worm her way under his skin unlike any other patient he ever treated. Perhaps it was because she worked as maid and her natural charm had enchanted him, but either way he was intrigued by her.

Not to mention the fact that he was still worried about her.

"If you insist . . ."

"Why don't you come with me to the café."

The words spilled out before she even knew what she said.

They both stared at each other silently for a few seconds before Sakura's rapid excuses flew out of her mouth.

"I-I mean as a guest you know, not like a date or anything because we just met each other, but you could eat there and I could serve you and you could watch me just in case I freak out or anything, I'm sure my boss will understand - "

"I'd love to."

To say she was shocked was an understatement. "Whoa, really?"

Her breath caught in her throat and suddenly she was smiling so brightly it must have blinded him. Realizing how ridiculous she must look, she toned it down to a minimum. But honestly, who would be this happy in her shoes? One of the most the handsome men she had ever met had just agreed to go to dinner with her! Granted, he was going as a costumer and she was going to be his maid, but at least he'd be all hers for the evening.

Neji smiled, thought he was a little apprehensive about eating at _that _particular café. If anyone from work were to catch him even looking at the entrance door, his reputation as one of Japan's finest and most respectable psychiatrist would be down the drain before the end of the night. Then they'd start shoving him in the same category as that perverted Kakashi.

But just one look into Sakura's hopeful eyes and he knew it didn't even matter. So long as she kept looking at him like that it would be all worth it in the end.

With just one look, she found herself drowning in his eyes. But she caught herself leaning in and laughed nervously.

"I'll see in an hour bye!" She quickly opened the door and ran inside, slamming the door shut.

He stood there for a moment, his smile still in place. He could admit, on some level he did like the girl. He wasn't head over heels, but he could see himself with her company. Yes, it looked rather nice in his mind. And somewhere in his inner most perverted thoughts he really did want to see what she looked like in a maid outfit. He wouldn't mind being called master every now and then.

A loud honk from the car broke his train of thought and a quick scowl replaced his smile.

"How come I didn't get to say goodbye?"

Neji felt an angry tick on his head and vowed before he could go home and get ready, he would send in a request to his boss and have Kakashi reassigned to another department. Preferably somewhere on the other side of the city.

* * *

"Daemon!" Phantom ran pass the maids and nearly slammed into the wall as she made a mad dash to the elevator. She pulled the leveler harshly and jumped up and down impatiently before it stopped and the bell rang. Shoving open the door, she hurried to her husband's office and burst into the room. "Oh, Daemon . . ."

"Phantom,"

Sitting in place of her husband was not a man, but a great and terrible monster. He sat naked and slouched in the corner, his eyes distant and cold. His horns still had some skin hanging to them, indicating that he had just shed, but the pile of pale human flesh scattered across the room already gave that away. It smelt like charcoal and oil, and nothing like the sweet mango and vanilla Phantom was so used to.

She watched his tail move back and forth, black steam coming off the end. He was several feet taller than her, his head already reaching the ceiling and his horns digging into the roof. His clawed hands reached out to her and pulled her close to him. The smell overwhelmed her, and his rough scales did nothing to calm her distress. She buried her face into his chest and began to weep.

"I'm so scared, how could this be happening to us?" Her voice was barely above a whisper.

His talon traced the scar on her shoulder. It had been aching for days and had finally emerged only hours ago.

"We've been discovered." When he spoke his voice was neither soothing nor serene. It was harsh and full of venom. Her heart broke.

"But how? We were so careful, we never let anyone get too close."

His arms enveloped her, "Ghost." He snarled the name with all the rage in the world.

She burst into tears and forced herself closer to him, "I don't want to lose you!"

He inhaled her scent and squeezed tighter, breathing into her ear, "I'm going to protect you, nothing will ever harm you again. _A__mator mei_."

* * *

When the doors opened, Sakura spotted a familiar face walk in, "Hey Neji!" She smiled and waved enthusiastically, making her way to the front.

However as she got closer, her smile slowly died as she realized he was not alone.

"Yo." Kakashi was far too cheerful for his own good. He grabbed her hand, pulled down his scarf, and gently kissed it.

She laughed awkwardly and slowly took back her slightly violated appendage, "Uh . . . hi . . ." She casually leaned towards Neji and whispered, "You brought him along?"

He sighed, "He insisted."

If she could have, she would have frowned. So much for a romantic "dinner" with Neji. He took notice of her cute pout and smirked.

"I reserved a table in the _royal chambers._"

Sakura blushed prettily and avoided his heated gaze. The "royal chambers" was known by many as the most romantic and rather _erotic _room in the entire café. It was usually reserved by boyfriends or husbands who wanted to surprise their significant others, or lovers looking to get into the mood for later on. But mostly it was used by the wealthy single looking for a hook up or a future companion.

Only the most experienced and oldest maids were allowed to work there. Sakura wasn't allowed anywhere near the area because she was still a beginning, and rather young to be around such a lewd area. The two security guards at the entrance made sure than anyone who entered was given special permission.

"I also requested one Haruno Sakura as my personal maid."

"R-really? I didn't even know guests could do that, Phantom made it clear I wasn't allowed there until I was at least twenty-five."

He stepped just a little closer to her, "I have my ways."

If she wasn't surrounded by hoards of maids and guests, she would have probably swooned and turned to mush. His eyes gleamed mischievously, the white of his eyes shining brightly as they gazed at her the way a man would to his lover. She forced herself to keep a professional facade and not switch into a squealing fangirl. But it really wasn't her fault. It should be made illegal for this man to walk and talk like that in public.

"Excellent." Like glass shattering, Kakashi's exuberant voice broke the mood.

Neji turned to the man, who was far too giddy to be back in natural environment, and said, "I only reserved it for one."

Instant;y, the man's smile dropped, "What? Even though you knew I was coming?"

"I believe she asked me to come and not you."

Kakashi turned to his pink-haired angel and clasped his hands together, "You want me here don't you? We haven't seen each other in so long and I've missed you dearly, you miss me too right?"

"Well . . ."

"If by 'miss' you mean 'restraining order' then yes, I am sure she misses you dearly."

"Listen pretty boy - "

"Hey, I have an idea!" Sakura quickly moved in front of Neji, putting her hands up in a defensive pose, "How about you sit in Castle Mania, it's right next to the Royal Chambers and when I'm not serving him I'll come by and join you! Does that sound good?"

The older man thought about it for a second before shifting back into this original happy state, "Oh Sakura, you know just what to do to make a man happy. Alright, I'll be seeing you in the castle."

She smiled widely and waited for him to be taken to his seat by another maid before turning back to her intended "date."

"Shall I take you to your seat then, master?"

It wasn't her intention to sound like a temptress, but from the way he looked at the very moment she wouldn't mind being a little naughty for just one tight. Besides, he said he was here to take care of her, and if that meant watching her every move then she'd make sure he'd see everything – in more ways than one.

Neji was slightly taken back by her rather seductive voice, but when he saw the hooded expression in her eyes he smirked and played along.

"If you would be so kind, my lady."

* * *

_A__mator mei = (Latin) My love_

Wow, haven't updated this in a while. As per usual, it's because of school. University is so difficult. They actually think we bleed money. You have no idea how broke I am. But I still have time to write a whole new chapter haha.

So yeah, not overly the top romantical like my other chapters because I wanted to try something new for this one.

But I chose not to do it in the cafe because I think a new environment for different situations keeps the story fresh and interesting. Let me know what you guys think! I promise next chapter will have more cafe action! And romance! I'll also briefly mention the dinner scene with Sakura and Neji.

Oh, I'm also fixing up the other chapters since I don't have a beta or anything so there will be some changes here and there but they're really just spelling and grammar mistakes.

Loves and Kisses!


	10. Chapter 10: Karin: la fille

**Creature Feature Deki Café**

**Karin: la fille**

As the blonde-haired man continued to rub down her legs in jasmine scented oil, Sakura let out a deep and husky moan. She plucked a grape from the fruit basket and popped it into her mouth. After a whole week of nonstop work and school, not to mention the pressures of her internship, she needed this. No, she bloody deserved this two day vacation. And when her dearest and best friend had heard of this, she practically dragged the woman out of her cave and into the city where the two females pampered themselves like movie stars.

"Ino, if you weren't in a relationship right now I'd marry you on the spot."

Said woman slightly lifted her head from the massage table and smirked.

"Am I brilliant, or am I brilliant?"

"You are magnificent."

Sakura stretched her arms above the cushion seat and sighed contently as the man moved to her other leg. It wasn't very often she went to a spa, especially one so expensive and high-class, so she was going to milk this day for all it's worth. Being best friend's with an international chef's wife definitely had it's perks, not to mention the fact they'd been best friends since the dawn of time. Though it did make her feel a twinge of sadness though, to know that most of her friends were already falling in and out of love while she still waited for her prince charming to come and rescue her on his white stallion.

Ino was lucky, so very lucky to have found the love of her life. Unlike most weddings she had attended in the past, their's was surprisingly small, but very intimate. The audience could easily tell it wasn't about how much money they had or how extravagant they could be, it was all about the happy couple and how they became untied as one.

One day, she would have that. As ridiculous as it sounded, she was going to marry the right person and she will get her happily ever after even if it kills her.

_I am such a sad, sad person. I wonder how many cats I will live with by the time I'm fifty._

"Hey forehead,"

"What?"

"About that café you work at, Choji's been there a few times."

Sakura lifted the cucumber off her eye, "Really, and what does he think?"

"He says it's adequate enough, the food is delicious but nothing special. He doesn't really see the appeal of it, but knows most of the people go just to look at the girls anyways."

She smirked, "Obviously. Not trying to sound like a misogynist or anything, but have you seen those women? I swear they look like god's photoshopped masterpieces. I've never seen any woman come close to their standards. It makes me feel weird sometimes."

Ino bit into an apple and nodded wholeheartedly, "Seriously, the first time I went I thought I was gonna lose Choji to this busty look girl with pony ears! But he hardly battered her an eye, he says I'm the only woman in his life." She sighed dreamily and the smile on her face nearly made Sakura burst into a fit of laughter.

"Please, you're making me sick."

"Oh bite me, I'd love to see you eat your words when you finally find your knight in shining armor."

Sakura rolled her eyes, "As much as I would love to find that man, he does not exist and I have no intention on searching for him."

Ino threw a grape in her face, "This is why you're still single."

"There is nothing wrong with being single."

"Oh, of course not. But there comes a point in time in everyone's life when they should fine their special someone and settle down. You, my dear, are heading in the opposite direction."

Sakura rolled her eyes, "Stop being so dramatic."

"I am so not being dramatic! It's true," Ino lifted herself up, not caring that her breasts hung open in the air, "You are working in one of the hottest jobs in all of Tokyo, as a maid of all things, and you're making bank, but you're still unattached? Something's wrong here."

"Please, nothing is wrong with me." Sakura took an apple from the fruit basket sitting between them and bit into it, "Besides, I'm not the only one who doesn't have a boyfriend. None if the maids there have one, same with the guys. Although, I think one of the butler's is married to a maid."

Ino scoffed, "Who the hell would want to date any of those shallow robots? They look nice, but I can totally tell they're stuck up on the inside. They're like the girls from Mean Girls, and I bet that Bou chick is the asian Regina George."

"Bou is not Regina George, believe it or not she has class and she's sweet. A little weird . . . okay, very weird, but she's nice."

"Yeah, and then you become the head maid and suddenly there's a nicely polished knife in your back."

"Ino."

She lifted her hands and laughed, "I'm just saying."

Once the message ended, Sakura stood up, taking her towel with her, and head towards the powder room.

"Oh, I've been meaning to ask; did Shikamaru get a chance to look into the case I sent you?"

Ino pursed her lips as she followed behind, "Which one was that again?"

"The missing women case, you know, how all the maids working at our cafe happen to look like all the women who mysteriously disappeared years ago?"

"Oh, that one. I still think you're crazy."

"I am totally not crazy, this is serious!" Sakura threw her hands in the air, "What if they were all kidnapped and then brain washed into working at the café, I mean let's face it; they really are like robots! It's always yes master, whatever you want master, anything for you master." She grabbed Ino's shoulder and shook her hard, "What if I'm next!"

Ino pinched Sakura's cheeks hard, until she shriek, and placed her hands on her hips, "You need a longer vacation, I think this job is getting to your head."

"It all makes sense now; no one can ever be that nice." Sakura's eyes were as huge as saucers, "I mean, I almost killed one of my clients and his party, and then I threw hot water in someone's face when he used a dirty pick up line on me."

"Sakura . . ."

"_Hey, nice legs. What time do they open_?" She mimicked in a masculine voice, "Dirty pervert, teach you to use Icha Icha Paradise pick up lines on me!"

"Hey crazy lady!" Ino threw a small, plastic comb at Sakura's head.

"Ow! What?"

"Stop talking to yourself and listen to me!"

"Alright, what is it?"

Ino grinned slyly and pushed her chair right up to Sakura, "You know, the way you were raving about this Neji guy, I almost assumed there was something going on between you two. Is there something I should know about?"

Sakura blushed madly and shook her head.

"Liar, spill it and I want every detail!"

"We just had dinner at the café, alright? Nothing happened!"

Ino rolled her eyes, "Yeah, and you had lunch and you had breakfast. You had three course meals and everything in between. Why aren't you two dating? I demand and explanation!"

"It's really long . . ."

The blonde took out her phone and turned it off, "We have the whole day to ourselves."

Sakura quirked an eyebrow. If Ino, the mobile queen had really turned off her phone, she has be dead serious. With an indigent sigh, she began to tell her story.

"It was after the fifth time he came to the café that I began to suspect something . . ."

* * *

Phantom emerged from the behind the glass cased door and shut it quietly behind her. She let our a weary sigh and closed her eyes before the tears started to flow. She would not do this, she would not cry again. The café barely opened and already the fragile pieces of her sanity began to crumble. As she walked away the locks automatically clicked into place.

Further down the hall, the walls began to shift and change. It curved left, swerved right, and somehow Phantom ended up climbing the stairs while hanging upside down. In the end, the building became a labyrinth of stairs, walls, and doors. Some led to more hallways, some led to empty rooms. But there was one door in particular that she was only interested in.

Even from a million doors down she could hear his wailing. His agonizing screams and torturous moans. He banged on the walls and threw things aside. She heard the ear shattering clawing of his nails running down the windows, showing him a world he could no longer walk into.

Her footsteps hurried as she practically ran down the last few steps and ripped out of the keys from her bright pink blazer. She fumbled, trying to find the right key and curse something fierce before finding it and wrenching the door open.

"Daemon!"

He stopped his psychotic rampage for a minute, the beast calming himself as his mate finally arrived. His eyes bleeding red, bore into her with a smoldering look. She rushed into him, wrapping her arms securely around his neck and kissed him on the lips. He responded with great enthusiasm, clutching onto her for dear life.

After a minute, she broke away. "You have to stop doing this, you're hurting yourself."

"I can't take this anymore." His voice grew darker and rougher by the day. Soon, he would not be able to speak at all. "I am sick and tired of hiding. Being confide to this tiny room is driving me insane!"

"What would you have my do, my love? I can't possibly let you out, unless you wish to return home until I have this matter fixed."

He scowled, but it came out as a growl. "You know I would never leave you."

Phantom rested her forehead on his chest. "The liquids are running out, if we don't find another way to feed _her_, she's going to eat the maids."

"How much do we have left?" Daemon stroked her hair as he rested on his hind legs.

"Enough to last us two months. But all she does is eat, I can't keep up with her!" Phantom grabbed his biceps and pulled herself up. "Let's run away, we'll release them all, every single one of them, and then we can leave this place forever."

"What about Ghost?"

Phantom bit her bottom lip, "I can't leave her here . . . she'll die."

"Then we take her with us."

"Yes, oh please, let's just leave!"

Daemon sighed, smoke coming out his mouth. "You know we can't, _she'll_ only follow us, like she always has. And even if we let go of all the maids, she'll still find and eat them. We can't go."

She looked down, and when she spoke his voice was barely above a whisper. "Then . . . are we to stick with our original plan?"

"Yes."

"What if Sakura doesn't want to? We can't force her."

"She's our only chance of survival. Her life is on line as well. She had a target painted on her back the second she agreed to work here."

Phantom grabbed Daemon's face and looked into his eyes, "Alright, but the second she's put in danger – if I feel like her life is in jeopardy, we leave, okay? We get her out and we leave."

"Okay."

* * *

Ino's jaw dropped, and if possible, her face couldn't be more red than it already was.

"What?"

"You, my dear, are an idiot."

Sakura felt an angry tick above her brow, "How am I an idiot?"

"A guy, who is so smitten and in love with you, proposes to you with a pink, diamond ring and you have the audacity to turn him down? You're an idiot, you are the every village's missing idiot!"

Sakura huffed, "I've only met the guy two weeks ago, and suddenly he's asking me to marry him? How could you possibly think that's normal. I'm not the psychiatrist here, but I know when something's not right. No one falls in love in a week."

"I beg to differ." Ino said

"You shook Leonardo DiCaprio's hand, he doesn't even remember your name." Sakura rolled her eyes.

"He wants me, you'll see."

"Anyways," Sakura got up and headed for the showers, "I feel bad though, the entire place lit up like wild fire. Everyone was so excited, hoping to plan for a wedding, even my boss got into it. But then I told them I declined and it suddenly felt like the depression."

"No surprise there."

The showers turned on and steam filled the room. "The weird thing is Neji wasn't even mad, I felt like I humiliated him after he poured his heart out to me, but even that didn't deter him."

"Have you heard from him?"

"We still talk . . . although it's a little strained, I think he's recovering from a broken heart. But he says he wants to see me and properly court me, whatever that means. I think the atmosphere of the café just got into his head." Sakura said.

Like every other male who's ever walked into that place.

"Then do it, it's about time you let yourself get pampered by a man." Ino pulled open the door and let herself into the shower, pushing Sakura aside as the hot water rained down on her.

"There are other stalls you know."

"Yeah . . . but who's gonna rub shampoo in my hair?" She tossed a lavender bottle into Sakura's hand and turned around, "Make sure you get all twenty-six inches of this luxurious mane."

"Or I can just chop it all off and have you walk out of here bald."

There was a bright glint in Ino's eye, "You do anything to my hair and I will sew your vagina shut. You'll die a sad, old virgin and I'll still make you shampoo my hair, so get to it!"

Sakura groaned and proceed to pour two handfuls of gel into her hands before lathering it onto Ino's scalp. She let out a satisfied sigh and sat on the bath stool.

"You know what would make this even better?"

"If I had a drink."

"Nope, if you let Neji take you out for Valentine's day."

Sakura chuckled, "That is so sappy. I told you, I'm not ready to go out with him yet. Hell, I'm not ready to go out with anyone! I still got to get my life in order first. Too many things to do – "

"Yeah, yeah I know; you've got work, you've got school, you've got a cat waiting to be fed. Damn, you are so boring. How are we friends again?"

"Because you need me. Who else is going to shampoo your hair? Besides, I already have something planned out for V-day."

"Oh really, let me guess, you're gonna buy all the chocolate no one else did and eat them at home by yourself while watching Grey's Anatomy."

"Close, it's Phantom's birthday and we're going to throw her a surprise party."

Ino turned to look at her over her shoulder, "Are you talking about your creepy boss?"

"She's not creepy," Sakrua looked thoughtful for a second, "She's just . . . creative."

"Tell me, how is wearing yellow overalls and a green tank top on a snowy day creative?"

"Look, she's been so kind to me and I haven't exactly been the most generous person lately. You . . . you just have to look outside the box!" Sakura tried but failed desperately to defend her abnormal employer.

"Ha! I have to look into the next universe to try and understand what goes on in that woman's head. But whatever, do what you want. I'm going out with my man for a romantic dinner and hot, delicious romping when we get home."

Sakura made a face, "You've got to stop that, I'm going to catch something viral."

"_Humph_, jealous much?"

* * *

Her last resting day was spent shopping in the local market district. What she loved about this place was how accessible everything was. If she wanted something, it was always there, no matter how absurd it might be. There was always a stand selling something she needed. And right now, what she needed were party decorations.

Knowing how odd and eccentric the café looked by itself, she wanted something far more tame. Her initial theme was a club, set in downtown Tokyo. She had been to one before, at Ino's insisting, and surprisingly enjoyed it. She wasn't a heavy drinker and knew Phantom and Daemon did it only on special occasions. So on top of the decorations, she also planned on buying nonalcoholic beverages.

If only there wasn't a liquor store at every single block!

The last thing she wanted was a drunk Phantom spoiling her own birthday party, and she had seen the little woman drunk before. It was rather frighting . . . those couches would never look the same to her again.

"Okay, first on my list are balloons. Shouldn't be too hard." She walked into a small, but cozy supply shop and headed for the party isle.

Unbeknownst to her, the door chime alerted the store clerk to it's newest customer. And a pair of wide eyes glued itself to Sakura as she hurried on by.

So enraptured by her task, she failed to noticed a shadow looming over her as she compared the prices of two bags of colorful balloon.

"Well, well, well. Look what the cat dragged in."

The hairs on her neck stood on end as the voice of everything she hated in high school reared its ugly head.

"Please let this be a dream."

"Sorry sweetheart, I'm about as real as your pink head."

Sakura slowly rose from her crouching position and turned to the owner of that sickeningly, sweet voice. "Hello Karin."

"Hey Pinky, long time no see."

They regarded each other with tentative eyes. Arch-nemesis in high school, it had been three long years since they last saw each other. The last thing Sakura remembered about the woman standing before her, she was walking away from the graduation ceremony, arm in arm, with boy she had been dating. The harlot nearly got a face full of well manicured nails.

"That's a mighty expensive purse you got there, see you're a working girl."

"As are you." Sakura responded cooly.

Karin gritted her teeth, "Don't act so high and mighty we all know you're working on a scholarship and paid internship. If it weren't for those, you wouldn't be in school right now."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Otherwise I'd be where you are wouldn't I? Working at a run of the mill quick stop store at butt end of the district. How much is your hourly wage again?"

Sakura chuckled as Karin held herself back from jumping at her. It was just too easy to rile her up. This was perhaps the only way they could possibly ever have a civilized conversation. Years of separation had effect on their relationship, not that she cared. If it were up to her, she'd be sure to avoid this side of the district for as long as possible.

"Look, I didn't come here to get into a fight with you. I didn't even know you worked here. I just want to buy my things and leave."

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Karin's eyes lit up with a strange kind of resolution. It put her off just a little.

"Oh, where are you going?"

Well, that was unexpected.

"Uh . . ."

But she wouldn't let up. Karin kept looking at her with the same, excited expression, completely forgetting they hated each other and not two seconds ago, was ready to tear her up limb from limb.

"I'm planning a birthday party." Sakura said cautiously.

"Really, for who?" Her voice seemed to grow a little higher.

"My boss."

"Wow, that's so sweet of you! I'd never do that for mine, course he's my uncle, but still."

Sakura looked away for a second before returning to Karin, half expecting someone to jump out with a hidden camera and tell her she was on a prank show. But instead, she was stuck with a smiling woman who's eyes seemed to grow brighter and brighter with each passing second.

"Well . . . my boss is one of a kind." Sakura smiled awkwardly and slowly inched away from her. Unfortunately, she didn't get too far away before she felt Karin's presence again.

"Do you have a theme?"

"Uh . . . a nightclub in Tokyo."

Karin squealed loudly, "Oh my gosh, that sounds _so_ exciting!"

She was considering making a run from it, the woman was just making her very uncomfortable! But there was no way she could leave when the store had a buy one and get one free deal on all items. It was every shopper's dream come true, and she was the very epitome of a shopper. Perhaps not much of a spender on clothing, but she loved decorating her house and buying grocery.

"Karin, what are you doing?"

"Standing here."

Sakura cocked her head to the side, "Exactly, why are you standing next to me?"

"Why not?"

"Because you almost tore my head off two seconds ago."

Karin laughed, "No I didn't."

"Yes, you did. You looked about ready to kill me."

Then, she did something Sakura would never in a million years imagine her to do.

Her rival, her arch-nemesis, her would-be boyfriend stealer stroked her cheek.

Sakura literally jumped in shock and landed in the shelf behind her, knocking over party supplies. Her breath came out in short pants as she stared wide eye at the offending woman. Her arms posed over her body in self-defense, ready to smack away any more wondering appendages.

"W-w-what the hell was that?"

"What?"

"Don't 'what' me! Are you insane? No, I don't care. Don't touch me!"

This time, Karin had the curtesy to look angry, just like her old self. However, what she wasn't expecting was the hurt and offended look she put on. Perhaps it was all an act, but it was a really good one and somehow Sakura began to feel a little bad for what she said.

"And why not? I've been waiting five long, agonizing years to even have a moment alone with you! Do you know how hard it was to see you changing in the locker room and have to keep myself from jumping you? I want you as badly now as I did then!"

She felt like the air was punched right out of her. It was one thing to constantly hear how much Karin hated, however this was an entirely different matter in itself. She could deal with marriage proposals, overly touchy males, and crazy child patients. But dealing with love declaration from someone you've despised all through out high school was just not in her agenda.

Sakura pinched the bridge of her nose,"Please tell me you did not just say that."

"Yes I did. And I'll say it again. Haruno Sakura, the girl I hate more than anything in this world; I am in love with you. And I have been since the first day I transferred to that dingy high school."

Karin couldn't possibly look more smug than she did at that very moment.

"But . . . but you stole all the guys I ever dated, how can you possibly tell me you love me when you did all those awful things to me!"

She scoffed and pushed her glasses further up her nose, "I only did that so I can keep them away from you. You think it's fun, competing with a guy for a girl's attention? The only time I can get you to look at me is whenever I do something mean to you. All I ever got were glares. I had to settle for that for five years!"

Now she really felt bad, guilty in fact. But it wasn't her fault, none of this was any of her doing. It wasn't as if she asked her to fall in love! She shouldn't be feeling this way, she did absolutely nothing wrong, and yet there was a part of her that went out to Karin. Despite their history, Sakura was a compassionate person at heart and no one deserved the torment she went through.

She let out a shaky sigh, "Look, this is all . . . there is a lot of information to take in. And it's not even noon yet. I just want to get my things and go."

"What, that's it? I pour my heart out to you and all I get is the cold shoulder?"

"What am I supposed to do? I'm sorry you feel this way, but there's nothing I can do about it!"

And another unexpected event on top of everything else, Karin actually started tearing up. Sakura sprang to her feet in fear, not wanting to see the woman cry. Tears were her mortal enemy, as a nurse, she hated seeing her patients in any type of pain. And now here she was, causing inexcusable pain to another.

"You're so cruel." Karin turned away from her and made a mad dash to the back, slamming through the swinging doors.

Sakura groaned and covered her face. How was she going to deal with all of this, and plan a birthday party all in one day? Knowing how much the sting of heartbreak hurt, she easily sympathized with Karin. If only they could have just kept hating each other, then she wouldn't feel the need to ram her head through a wall. Now, instead of being on the receiving end, she was the one administering the shot.

She stuffed the balloon packets into her bag and walked to where Karin ran to. Pushing open the doors, she heard quite sniffling and a soft choke from behind a metal shelf. In the corner of the room, she found the woman sitting on top of the stow away boxes. Her knees were curled up with her head in between. The crying became more audible, and it took everything in her to not run away in shame.

"Karin?"

She peeked through her bangs. "What do you want?"

"I'm . . . I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to say those things, I was just in shock. I'm really, really sorry."

Sakura made her way to Karin and sat down next to her, gently touching her knee and rubbing it comfortingly. To her surprise, Karin quickly took the opportunity to place her head on her shoulder and started cuddling affectionately. She reminded Sakura of a big, fluffy cat. Fickle and unstable when not receiving attention, but utterly tender and devoted when she got what she wanted.

"You know, it's really hard to digest all of this. I mean, all I remember abut you is how you tried to keep me locked in the bathroom stall after school."

"I only did that because the guy from art class was looking for you. He wanted to ask you to the dance." She sniffled.

"What about that one time you poured green paint all over my hair?"

"Same guy wanted to ask you to the lantern festival."

Sakura shook her head, "And the time you pushed me into the pool, knowing that I couldn't swim and could possible have drowned? Which I almost did."

"I wanted to rescue you and give you CPR! That way you would totally see how much better off you are with me than some dirty boy."

"So all this time, you've been hiding your love from me." Sakura stated.

"Yep."

"That's pretty depressing."

"Tell me about it. I watched Romeo and Juliet, the one with Leonardo DiCaprio for two whole months after graduation."

Sakura lifted Karin's head and looked at her in a somewhat new light. She didn't completely forgive her for all the horrible things she had done. While they may have been in the name of love, they were still rather vicious things and you can't always forget them. But, she was willing to move on from the past.

"Want to go get some shaved ice with me? I saw a stand just two doors down from here."

Instantly, her face lit up and she nodded enthusiastically.

"Do you still need to buy things for your party?"

"Yeah, I have a whole book for supplies to need to get."

"Well then," Karin was up on her feet before Sakura even had time to blink, "Let's get going before the day ends!" She grabbed her hands and pulled her back into the store.

By the time they had finished, it was already past mid-afternoon. The sun slowly dipped behind some of the taller buildings, casting the sky into a haze of orange and purple. The district began to fill up as people who got out of work began to roll in with the intent of buying on sale products or simply cooling off from a rough day.

Sakura carried several bags in her arms while Karin had two bags hooked on hers. The two seemed to be getting along better than they had earlier in the day, with the Karin skipping along side the love of her life with a merry beat. Sakura, unsure about how to make of the situation, went along with it as best she could. It was nice to know that they've moved on, and she could even call the red-head a friend, but she was still trying to decipher how she could deal with the one-sided romance.

It was hard enough dealing with men, but how does one handle a woman? Anko Mitarashi was an exception. She was so masculine, she might as well have been born a man. But not Karin. She was as girlie as Ino, and as stubborn as she was. This was going to be a difficult one.

"Look, there is it!" Karin pointed to a small stand sitting on the corner of the sidewalk. An old man wearing a blue apron handed cups of shaved ice to small children as they eagerly jumped up and down.

"I can taste the lemon already." Sakura stared longingly at the cart, mouth open as drool came pouring out.

"I want cherry!"

They ran as quickly as they could, though looking a bit awkward with all their bundle in their arms, but made it just in time before a group of small elementary students got in line.

"It's seventy-five cents for a cone and a hundred yen for a cup."

"That cheap? Wow! In our shopping district, it's two hundred for a single cup. And it's not even that big."

"Well, that's what you get for living in the city."

Sakura pouted, "True, everything is so expensive over there."

"You could always come live in the country side with me." Karin whispered. She looked up at her with wide, puppy eyes and stuck her lower lip out cutely.

"Tempting." Sakura chuckled.

"Really?"

"I have a job though, two jobs actually. And I'm still in school."

"Oh yeah, you work at the weird animal café. Do you really dress up in maid outfits and wear puppy ears?"

Sakura nodded, "Yep, I even get a tail."

"A tail . . ." Suddenly Karin's thoughts went off somewhere dark and seductive. Her lips curled involuntarily as she imagined an obedient Sakura circled up in the lap, licking her face and demanding to be tickled. "Mmmm."

"Uh . . . Karin?"

"You're next ma'am." The old man said.

"Oh!" She moved to take a step forward, but before she could do that, someone had rudely cut her off.

"Hey, I was next!"

"Tough."

"Oh hell no, you did not just tell me to tough it." Sakura growled.

"Too bad, I just did. One cup of pineapple and orange, please."

"Why you – "

"Hey buster!" Karin shoved her bangs into Sakura's arms and poked the man on the back of his shoulder, "Do you know who you're talking to?"

"Nope."

"I am Higurashi Karin and my family owns half the stores in this district, so if you cut in front of my woman, you're cutting in front of me!" There was a moment of pause. "Which you kind of already did, but the point is; don't be an ass, especially around this part of time. We'll make you very sorry."

But before she could continue on with her bravado, the man grabbed his cup and turned around to face them.

"Oh."

Karin visibly gulped and chuckled sheepishly. But not Sakura, instead, her mouth fell open in shock.

"Gaara?"

He looked just as stunned to see her, but his temporary jolt turned into an interested smirk.

"Sakura."

Karin looked between the two, not liking the man at all. "You know him?"

"Y-yeah, he was one of my customers . . . and technically my boss." She grumbled the last part.

"Not technically, literally." He sneered.

"Whatever, just get out of my way so I can get my snow cone." She shoved past him and made her order.

"So is this the boss you're making a surprise birthday party for?"

"No! It's for Phantom, the café owner. Like I'd ever celebrate his birthday."

Gaara shrugged and scooped a mouthful of flavored ice. "I'm hurt, and to think I was planning on inviting you to my company's annual Valentine's Day party. It's on a yacht you know."

"Don't care."

"With live performance and an endless buffet table."

Okay, all you can eat sounded very good. Especially to a hungry college student.

"No thanks, I have a party to create."

But he was not one to be dissuaded and lifted a strand of hair to his face, "I don't give up easily, Sakura. And I don't take no for an answer."

"I'm afraid you're going to have to tough it out." Sakura replied with an icy coolness to match his own.

"I like your fire." He purred, and inched closer to her.

"Alright, that is enough!" Karin barged in between the two and shoved Sakura behind her. "Stop flirting with my girlfriend!"

Gaara was taken back, "Excuse me?"

"Yeah, that's right hotshot, Sakura is my girlfriend!"

"Um, no I'm not."

"Shh, it's alright. You don't have to be embarrassed by it." Karin patted her hand.

"You're a lesbian?" Gaara asked.

"No I'm not! I just . . . I just want my shaved ice!" She grabbed it from the old man, shoved a bill into his hands and stormed off.

"Now look what you've done, jerk!" Karin spun around, forgetting about ordering her own cone and chased after Sakura.

Gaara stood there, looking flabbergasted, as he watched Sakura walk away. Undeterred, he let himself a secret smile as he walked away himself and back into the car waiting for his return.

"Back to the office, sir?" The driver asked.

"Yes, I have several appointments I need to cancel. It seems I have other things planned for Valentine's Day."

* * *

Last update was september, wow!

Okay, I may not like Karin (or have any idea what her last name is) but I totally ship her with Sakura. I don't know why, maybe my inner lesbian just loves all kinds of female pairing (yay yuri!) but they are my female OTP right above Temari and Sakura. Lol.

Anyways, if you find any mistakes please tell me!

Thanks!


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